Blu's Final Tale
by Wherever Girl
Summary: You'd think a story would end after a sequel. Not for Blu, who is on a quest that will not only give her another headache... but will also include the biggest change in her life.
1. Chapter 1: The Story of My Crappy Life

**Alright, people and non-peoples, a swarm of plot-bunnies have attacked once again, so I've decided to get started on yet ANOTHER fic.**

**Just so you don't get your hopes up too high, I'd like to say that I'm still working on the plot of this story and this is more of a teaser. I won't update ASAP, for I'm going to be working on editing my other fics, fixing a few mistakes and what-not.**

**I hope you all enjoy, please read and review (don't flame unless you have a death-wish) and I shall update once I am done with my other works… or until the plot-bunnies break into my room in the dead of night and beat me with sledgehammers (for the 18****th**** time this year…)**

XxXxXxXxX

I am not a hero.

Now my cousins, THEY'RE heroes… in a way.

Red likes to fool around with every hot guy she met (decided to quit once she found out she was hitting on her own nephew), and I always classified her as a slut… But, at least she was never afraid to show her feelings.

I was always in denial.

Goldilocks has a knack for breaking into houses and eating you out of house and home. And when she asks for something but doesn't get it, she throws a tantrum until she gets it (or finds a way to steal it). …At least she always asks first.

I normally just swipe 'n' go.

Snow White is a saint. She tents to visit the homeless at least twice a week, lives in a beautiful palace which she and her prince rule wisely, and has never made a selfish act, always doing good for others. She's basically the nicest person you could ever meet (just as long as no one offers her an apple).

People are lucky if I give them the time of day.

Then there's my friends, Pin and Wolf.

Pin used to be a puppet until the Blue Fairy (who I should mention was my mom) changed him into a real boy. Now, he's a professional monster-hunter who also works in his dad's toy-shop. He and I have been friends since we were 14, and have strong feelings for each other… well, HE has strong feelings for me.

I normally just ignore mine.

Wolf is a creature that's half wolf, half werewolf (we call these creatures wolfians) and, after proving he's more human than beast, inherited my mother's fairy-powers after I passed them down to him, and is possibly the most powerful fairy-hybrid out there. He also has strong feelings for me, which I didn't notice until he took a bullet for me.

Big whoop.

Now, if you've read my fairytale, _A Blu Fairytale _(it should be on a shelf at your local library or book store. If not, then their branches have crappy sources) you would probably guess that I'm some brave heroine (no, not the drug) who saved the world, found true love, and blah blah blah.

Well, that's what I figured as well, but you know what happened? I had to go through a frickin' SEQUEL! And if you've watched enough movies, you should learn that a LOT of sequels suck and pretty much ruin the first story. Well, that's what happened to me: A sequel ruined my life, forcing me to go on a trek to stop another psycho-villain and nearly get myself killed.

And if the sequel itself wasn't enough, get this: It coincided with an adventure with three boys with three problems of their own, the villain had a crush on me, and I didn't get a wink of sleep until the little quest was OVER!

Believe me, two weeks without sleep can really ruin the rest of your day.

Anyway, as I was saying, the sequel brought out the worst in me. Not only that, but after taking down a mad sorcerer, the most feared werewolf in all the land, and a corrupt rhyming mayor, everyone STILL found me to be nothing but trouble, as if I were the villain rather than a hero! What, all because I used to pick-pocket them for cash, shop-lifted from a few stores, and gave even my closest friends attitude, I have to do MORE than save the world TWICE to get them to see me differently?

…Oh, did I leave out my old criminal life? Allow me to explain: My parents died in a fire when I was five, I was forced to live with my cousins when they were at their brattiest and framed me for almost everything, causing my aunts and uncles to see me as a trouble-maker no matter how much I tried to convince them of my innocence and tried not to be too much of a burden, and the entire town saw me as a 'poor little girl'.

One day I got sick of it and decided to go down the wrong road that lead to the criminal life, though I avoided drinking, drugs, and smoking for my parent's sake. Because of this, I was excluded from my cousins' fairytales, even though I knew what REALLY happened, which only made my habits grow worse.

I suppose you could say my life is like that tale, 'Beauty and the Beast' (which is the tale of how my mom met my dad), only I'm not Belle or Mary (depending on which story you read, there's like, two different versions as I can tell…). Nope, as you can tell by now, I'm more of the beast (I suppose I get it from my dad's side). Short-tempered, ill-mannered, self-centered, and loathed by everyone.

But, every beast has a beauty, so perhaps I have one…

Just so you know, that last statement was sarcasm.

Well, enough of my life-story. I suppose you're expecting another tale full of adventures with twists and turns and all that shit, right? *sigh* Fine, but this is the LAST ONE. You ask for another, and I'm going to hunt you down and kick your ass.

It started the year I turned 21. My next biggest migraine came along when HE showed up…

XxXxXxXxX


	2. Chapter 2: My Role Model Roommate

Well, the plot-bunnies got me while I was in the kitchen (who knew so many could fit into my fridge?) and now I am writing a new chapter.

As I've said before, I'll be busy and am still thinking the plot through, so please don't form a mob if I don't update after a few weeks. Thank you.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **(I had a feeling you'd be the first to review) And yeah, I believe the best way to begin a new story is start with a bit of back-stories, just to fill-in new readers. You will find out who 'he' is by the end of the chapter (maybe) and I'll be writing another Blu-shot soon enough. …Now, uh, could you have that little Kyubey thing stop staring at me, now? It's starting to disturb my hamster.

XxXxXxXxX

It had been three years since I had a quest, which is absolutely fine with me.

The last journey I had to go on involved me helping the Unicorn Princess find all her missing brethren. It didn't take so long, since we found them partying at a water-park chugging down several cans of Red Bull, which was highly irresponsible (since, for unicorns, energy-drinks are like alcohol). …So, if you're wondering why you've never seen a real unicorn before, it's because they've all been locked up in a tight pen at an underground petting-zoo until the sugary beverages have been flushed out of their systems (which normally takes up to three or four hundred decades).

Since we've taken out Anchantor (a maniacal sorcerer with an expired license) Diablo (history's first Big Bad Wolf) and Steve Custoe (a corrupt mayor who tried to knock off his wife for the key to the city), things in Fairytale Land have been calm. Not many monsters attacked, no witches or warlocks tried to cast any spells, and no radioactive woodland creatures crept through the alleys.

Which meant I was finally going to get the break I've been looking for.

…That is, until I got a message from my cousin, Jimmy Krook.

Jimmy was the long-lost son of my cousin Robin, who I had met back when I was 18. Before he and his friends (Rudy, Danny, Radio, and Silver) left with my cousin Red Rose (who's real name was actually Elizabeth), he had been bitten by a werewolf, then by a wolfid (half human, half werewolf) and became a wolfid himself. Apparently, luck was on his side, because throughout his final year of high school, no one noticed his wolf-ears or tail (which he kept hidden, duh).

…That is, until Graduation, when all the seniors threw their caps into the air…

Long story short, Jimmy had to go into hiding for a while until everyone either forgot about his new appearance (which would take a few years) or until they figured out a way to change him into a full-human… That last option would be tough, since- unlike being bitten by werewolves- when someone is bitten by a wolfid, they remain as one. A bite-back would just render both him and Fangface II (or Ben, as he prefers to be called- aka the one who bit Jimmy in the first place) to be transformed into werewolves, since two halves make a whole, and… meh, it includes a lot of math.

Anyway, since there wasn't many discrete places to hide (and Jimmy refused to hide out in a cabin in the woods like some hermit), Silver and Radio both decided to move him to the one place where no one would question his appearance.

Fairytale Land.

…But, I won't go into much of the details.

Now, what was I talking about before I brought up Jimmy?

Ah, yes, how my three-year-break turned out to be less relaxing than I wanted it, to.

It all started when Silver came around, after my last quest…

_~3 Years Prior…~_

There I was, sitting under a tree, reading an _Ouran High School Host Club _graphic novel. It's about some lower-class cross-dressing girl who breaks a vase and- in order to pay off her debt- joins a club made up of a group of rich boys who entertain rich girls with way too much time on their hands. …It's quite funny, considering said tomboy is the heroine, who proves that it doesn't matter what kind of social-class you're in or how you dress, but how you can handle situations and fix problems.

…Then again, she's never been to Fairytale Land, where looks ALWAYS matter and how BEAUTY is power and how the RICH get better treatment than the POOR. Everyone judges on appearances and class- if you're not beautiful or rich, then you don't get far. (if your parents ever told you otherwise, get this: THEY LIED).

Fairytale Land is like a magical version of Hollywood… except with less paparazzi.

ANYWAY, I was enjoying the book, when I felt something- or more like someone- drop onto my shoulder, and I looked over to see… "Hey, Lina." I said to the small girl on my shoulder.

"Hello, Blu." Lina replied. She stood to be at least an inch tall with light-red hair, wearing a tiny pair of jeans and an even tinier pink tank-top, and radiant green eyes. She became my personal messenger about two days ago…

I'd like to interrupt my story with an introduction. The small girl, as you can possibly tell by now, is Thumbelina (she prefers to be called 'Lina' for short), and as part of her introduction, allow me to fill you in on the TRUE version of her fairytale: She's Tom Thumb's sister.

Tom Thumb was a cross between a nymph and a sorcerer, who could always tell when someone was lying (and always told the truth, not being able to fib… poor kid). Lina was his twin-sister, but they were separated at birth when a bird swooped down and carried her away. Luckily, some pixies managed to save Lina and reunite her with her brother later on. As thanks for them, Lina decided to take up business as a look-out for the pixies, having been born with the power to sense predators from miles away, and see the good in people- able to tell who to consider friend or foe. It all went well… until one of the pixie-boys tried to force her into an intimate relationship, and that's when she called up Tom to take her home. The pixie-boy didn't like that, and kidnapped her, threatening to feed her to the frogs if she refused… then, surprisingly, a frog snatched her and asked her to be a bride for his desperate, forty-year-old virgin brother-in-law, just so he could move off his lily-pad, but she refused and he threatened to throw her to the beetles unless she said yes… of course, then a beetle took her and tried to get her to join his 'Mini Peep Show', but she also refused and he threatened to bury her alive… then a mole snatched her, asking her for a one-night stand…

I happened to be digging in Snow White's garden during this and pulled her up in the knick of time, returning her to Tom, then turned in all the perverts who tried to get her to be their girl. It was a happy ending… despite the fact that she never got a prince, but oh well. Not all fairytale girls end up taken in a happily ever after.

Anyway…

"I just got news that three strangers stepped off of the Zaphael Train and are looking for you," Lina told me.

"What do they look like?" I asked, sighing as I shut my graphic-novel. We always had someone stepping off the train: hobos, runaway orphans, criminals looking for a clean getaway, hobos, tourists who got on the wrong train, stray cats or dogs, hobos… we get a lot of hobos. But none of them ever asked for me, let alone were familiar with the land.

"Well, one is a man in his late 40's, with dark hair and a thin beard, very muscular, and has hazel eyes; and the other two are a boy and girl your age- the boy has wolf-ears and the girl has cat-ears, and the boy claims he's a cousin of yours."

AKA, Silver, Jimmy, and Radio. "I wonder what brings them back here," I stood up, heading for the station.

I wasn't even twenty steps from my house when I saw my friend, Wolf, guiding the three familiar visitors to me. "Her house is right down this path. She should be…" Wolf was saying, then spotted me. "Oh, there she is, now. Hey, Blu! Look who's back!"

"Hello, Bluskyrobinaquamarine," Radio greeted me… and it surprised me that she could remember my entire first-name.

"Hi, Radio- please just call me 'Blu'." I responded. "What are you guys doing back in the land of sugar-coated migraines?"

"Eh, it's a long story," Silver began.

"My secret got out, now we need a place to hang out for a while," Jimmy replied with a shrug. "We figured, since you've got a ton of weird-creatures living here, we should come back, just until everyone who was at my graduation forgets my new set of ears," he pointed to the wolf-ears sticking out of his head.

Wolf cringed. "Ooh, I bet that shocked everyone," he said.

"Well, not quite. Everyone thought they were just fakes at first… until one of his classmates tried pulling them," Radio said, rubbing the back of her neck. "It took him a while to get past the crowd,"

"We had to leave in the middle of the night, roughly 3 AM actually, to get on the train before any reporters showed up," Silver said. "…Gonna be hard being away from home for a while,"

"Eh, Rude-Boy said he'd watch over the house while we're gone," Jimmy said, referring to Rudy, one of his friends who was familiar with mystical events. "He said he'd have nothing else to do before college, since Danny will be with his aunt, learning how to be king."

"How's my second long-lost cousin doing, anyway?" I asked as we began to walk. "Last e-mail I got from him, he said he was having trouble with his relationship with Rudy."

Radio sighed. "Yes. You see… Rudolph believed that he and Daniel were a couple, but the prince was still in a tangle in emotions- between liking girls or guys." she said. "Their friendship began to falter, and by the time graduation came around, well…"

"They don't hang out much, anymore." Jimmy put bluntly, shrugging. "I guess that's what happens when you kiss a guy twice-too many times…" Silver smacked Jimmy upside the head. "Ow! What?"

"He's doing fine, now." Silver said, giving Jimmy a hard glance. "Rose took him back to their kingdom the day after graduation, after helping us catch the train."

"I guess he and Rudolph just need some time away to clear their heads," Radio sighed… and I sensed a hint of joy in her exhale.

I did hear that she had feelings for Rudy, which shattered after he told her he preferred Danny… I guess a lot of girls get that way when they find out their crush likes the opposite sex. There's a little phrase I decided to share with her when she first told me about it: "If he's straight, you're relationship is great. If he's gay, then you're shit outta luck." …Didn't cushion the blows that much, but it helped her get the point that she and Rudy shall always remain friends…

Or WILL they?

…I don't know. I just heard that she went to Prom with Jimmy, so she's probably over her crush. (That, and there's the fact that they had kissed… which resulted in her changing into a cat… which is another story).

All I can say is, if she thinks Rudy is going to change his sexuality because he and Danny are having a hard time, all I can say is- life don't work that way. He was born gay, he grew up gay, so he's gonna stay gay for the rest of his life… or until some girl piques his interest.

"So, where are you guys planning on staying, now that you're here?" I asked.

"Danny said we ought to look up his aunt Snow White, and see if she has room for us," Silver said.

"…Just as long as we don't share a house with Red Riding Hood," Radio sneered. A while back, Red had tried to pull the moves on Rudy (twice), and as disturbed as the kid was, the red-cloaked skank had been under his friends' radars since then.

"And Goldie's out of the picture, too." Jimmy said. "I don't think I could handle living with a twerp who carries knives around 24-7."

"…Let alone who could pick the lock to your room," I added.

"Hey, what about Robin? Did you think of him?" Wolf asked, and I could tell he regretted it.

Robin had abandoned Jimmy's mom before he was born, and the two of them weren't exactly too close. Jimmy refused to have anything to do with him now, and Silver wanted to pound him into the ground until he hit China. …Never heard THAT in the 'Robin Hood' stories, did you?

"Why do you guys want to stay in a palace?" I asked, quickly changing the subject before Jimmy and Silver could chew Wolf out. "You can't have any fun- you have to dress certain ways, eat with certain utensils, you have to act proper every waking minute, and you have to ask permission to do everything!"

"Blu has a point," Silver said with a shrug. "Palace life isn't all fun and games- trust me, I've lived in one,"

"So, where SHOULD we stay?" Radio asked.

"Well… we have one OTHER relative…" Jimmy said, rubbing his chin and giving me a sly grin.

_~Present~_

…And that's how I ended up with roommates. Oh, sure, I could've told them they'd have to find somewhere else to stay, but Wolf had been giving me a look that eagerly suggested that I allow them to bunk at my place until they found a place of their own.

A few months later, Jimmy had found a job at the local mall while Radio took up a job at Snow's place as a servant on weekends, both of them earning enough to find their own apartments…

While Silver stayed with me. A long time ago, he had told me that I needed an attitude-adjustment and a 'good role-model', and he decided to volunteer himself. I couldn't really kick him out, since he HAD been helpful around the house… and threatened to tell the whole town that I was so cold-hearted I'd kick a poor homeless man out on the streets. What a con.

So there I sat on the sofa, three years later, flicking through the TV, when Silver walked in. He smiled at me, I scowled at him, and after that usual greeting I went into the kitchen to find something for dinner, since it was my turn to cook that night, and he took my spot on the couch. "Remember, it's also your turn to do the dishes, too." He said to me, sounding as if he were trying to restrain a chuckle.

_Godmother, when's he going to move out? _I thought, bitterly.

Three years, and my attitude never changed toward him. (I wonder how Jimmy managed).

So I stood at the counter, deciding to chop up some chicken for supper…

And that's when I saw HIS face looking at me through the window.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want, Peter?" I asked.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: And there you go. Hope this chapter was interesting enough, I thought I'd open with a few foreshadowings, and add in a couple new fairytale characters ;)

Please review. Don't flame or I will stuff you down a toilet.

Zim: LEAVE NO EVIDENCE!

0_o


	3. Chapter 3: Pedro

Hey, peeps and non-peeps! Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, but as I've mentioned before, I've been editing a few of my stories (just a couple more to go!) let alone working on another fic, babysitting, working, saving the world from a horde of psychotic gerbils, and so on and so forth. BUT, I've finally managed to find time to update this story!

So, read on and enjoy!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **I love the movie "The Last Unicorn"… but who's Petre S. Beagle? …Meh, some of us have a few "blonde" days… You MUST watch the series! (I also managed to watch an episode of Princess Tutu, the first ep. …I got confused on some parts, but it was pretty good). I was the weirdo kid in my school, but I didn't let it get to me for the simple fact that weirdness equals guitar ninjas ^-^ …Don't ask why there's so many hobos in Fairytale Land, sometimes the train just picks up a few stowaways. …Ah, but is it REALLY true love? …I've never seen "Alice in the Kingdom of Hearts", so I doubt it's that Peter (the show mentioned sounds quite interesting though, I'll have to look it up on Net-flix later).

XxXxXxXxX

Do you remember the old tale about a boy who could fly, had a fairy companion, cut off a pirate's hand, wore tights, never grew up and lived in a place called Never Land? Do you recall the tale having several movies based off it, whether it was based off the original tale, exaggerated by Disney, or about the kid actually growing up?

You do?

Well, it's time for me to fill you in on the truth about Peter Pan, then… or, as he's originally called in Fairytale Land, "Pedro".

You see, unlike the fairytales, Pedro's story is waaaaaay different. For one thing, he's actually half-fairy, half-elf (not those short little things that work for Santa Clause, mind you. Elves actually happen to be taller in real life), which allowed him to be born with flight (from his mother's side) and forever had the appearance of a child (from his father's side). His age stopped showing after he turned 13, and he stayed that way for the past… oh, lets see, what year is it again?… Ah, yes. The past 800 years.

ANYWAY, his parents had disappeared when he was a baby, and he was sent to the Fairytale Orphanage. Back then, the place was a mess, and apparently the reproduction rate was high back then because the building kept getting a bus-load of kids sent in almost every month… forcing them to send a few away to make room for the new kids. If a kid wasn't adopted by the time he became a teenager, he was sent off to find a job…

Or sold as a slave. Peter and four other boys happened to be the lucky contestants for THAT game. The ship was originally heading for India, but a freak storm sent it wrecking on the shores of a deserted island… full of pirates. A pirate by the name of Black Stache killed and maimed half the crew, letting Peter and the boys live if they agreed to be his new cabin-boys, otherwise be food for his pet crocodile. (Don't beat me to the ironic part!)

The boys thought it would be fun at first, getting to hang out with pirates… except for one detail that they found out later, which involved a disturbing truth that reared its ugly head because no women were on the island… save for a few Indian ones, but their village was located on the island next-door- and they learned how to use swords and pistols.

Apparently, when it comes to an all-man pirate crew, cabin boys have an "extra" job to do.

Well, Pedro wasn't going to allow him or his fellow boys to be used for sinful purposes, so he decided to teach Black Stache a lesson, both of them getting into a fierce fight… only Pedro didn't have a dagger on him- so he swiped a sword off an unsuspecting pirate, cut off Black Stache's hand, and tossed it to the crocodile, Mr. Grin. Apparently, Stache never fed the crocodile (Pedro told me that the only meal he saw the pirate give the reptile was an alarm-clock that woke him too early), because (like in the stories) Mr. Grin had only a craving for the pirate, and continued to chase after him until the day he died… then ate him.

With their captain constantly in pursuit of the crocodile, the pirates had to save his ass while Pedro and the boys stole their ship, sailed back to Fairytale Land, and…

Oh, wait. Did I leave out the part about Wendy and Tinkerbell?

Well, that's because they didn't come along until maybe 500 years later. Wendy was a girl who was running away from home, with her two younger brothers, where they decided to join a circus… where Pedro happened to star in. Fly-Boy helped Wendy and her brothers out when they got jobs at the circus as caretakers for the animals. One day, the circus-train got on the wrong track and ended up in Fairytale Land, making Wendy and her brothers nervous as heck… luckily Pedro knew quite a bit about the place and showed them around, giving them a heads up about what creatures lurked about and where they lurked.

While the kids were exploring, the ringmaster came across a lone fairy, trapped it, and decided to use it for his own use. What he didn't know was that Pedro was pretty tight with his sub-species, so he set the fairy free and he, Wendy and her brothers ran off into Fairytale Land- well, Pedro flew, actually. They came across the Zaphael Train, and Pedro managed to take them back home, after Wendy and her brothers became home-sick (wimps).

The fairy, who was very grateful for the rescue, vowed to stick by Pedro's side until he could return a favor-

Oh… did I forget to mention that the actual Tinkerbelle was a boy? …Well… the fairy's a boy. He had blonde hair, green eyes, stood to be 7 feet tall, and wore a tight green outfit… and was of British descent. His real name was Belverius Trinkus Iushi… which was Fairy-speak for "He Who Tinkers With Bells". …But Pedro just called him "Tink" for short.

…Of course, Fairytale Land DOES have a fairy by the name of "Tinkerbelle", but she didn't come around until 100 years later, and refuses to have anything to do with Pedro. Quite an alternate scenario, right?

Well, back to the original story.

Fly-Boy was floating outside my window, Tink hovering beside him. "Hey, what's new, Azul?" Pedro asked after I opened the window to let him in. …Did I mention he was of Spanish descent?

"Zilch. What do you want?" I asked in a deadpanned tone.

"We need a place to stay for the night." Tink replied, his voice sounding like an impersonation of Orlando Bloom. He thumbed toward Pedro, a sneer on his face. "Pedro dropped a water-balloon on someone's cat, and now they're chasing after us-"

*BAM!*

The door flung open just then, and Jimmy stepped in, carrying a gray, yellow-eyed, very wet and very pissed-off cat. "THERE YOU ARE!" He bellowed, baring his wolf-fangs.

"Yipe!" Pedro gasped, ducking behind me.

"I should have known," I sighed.

"What's going on in here?" Silver asked, walking into the kitchen, and he arched an eyebrow. "Jimbo? What are you doing here? …And why is Radio all-wet?"

"Because some riff-raff decided to 'cool me off' by trying to drown me!" The cat, Radio, replied in an angered tone.

…Why is Radio a cat? Well, she's a Cat-Furry, as a result of some curse her family was put under 200 years ago, and the only way to break it is for her to get a kiss from a descent of the royal family she was supposed to marry into back then. When a boy who isn't of that descent kisses her, she turns into a cat. Anyway…

"For the last time, it was an accident! I wasn't aiming for you!" Pedro responded, defensively.

"Who were you aiming for, then?" Radio scoffed.

"The wolf-eared dude," Tink replied, and Pedro smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What?"

Jimmy sneered and approached, and Silver stepped in front of him. "Alright, Jimmy, don't lose your cool just yet." he said. "You're old enough to realize that you can't handle every problem with violence."

"I won't hurt him. I'll kill him fast enough so he won't feel the pain-" Jimmy replied, shooting Pedro a death-glare.

"Jim…"

"How about this," I said, speaking up at last. "Pedro, you stop pulling pranks on people who know 1000 ways on how to kill you, apologize to Jimmy and Radio, and get out of my house because I have things to do,"

"Fine…" Pedro and Jimmy both muttered.

Pedro turned to Jimmy and Radio. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No harm done," Radio muttered while Jimmy just shrugged.

"How about if you guys join us for dinner?" Silver asked, and I gave him a dirty look, which he humbly ignored.

"Sounds good/Sure, I'm starving/If you insist/Whatever," The others replied.

I sighed bitterly, walking over to the phone. "In that case, I'm calling in a pizza," I said.

XxXxXxXxX

While we waited for the pizza guy to arrive, I sat on my back-porch, looking up at the starry sky, when I noticed a pair of bright green eyes staring at me. "What's up, Wolf?" I asked.

Wolf stepped out of the bushes, wearing a green short-sleeved hoodie with a matching pair of pants… looking as if he were in his pajamas. "Just out for a late-night stroll, thought I'd drop by," he said, though by the way he kept looking over his shoulder, I could tell it was more than that.

"Right… what's the REAL reason?"

He sighed, then turned to me frantically. "Alright, I need your help. You see, someone- well, _something_- has been following me around for the past two weeks, and I can't get rid of it! Well, actually it's not much of an 'it', since it's just one gender, but they- not 'they' as in plural but 'they' as in singular- won't leave me alone, and keep following me like a dog… which is ironic since, in retrospective, I'm part-dog, but-"

"For the love of Grimm, Wolf! Spit it out!"

"I'm being followed by aaaaAUGH!"

Whoever was following Wolf tackled him and pinned him to the ground… then licked his face.

I had to suppress a laugh. "So… Wolf. Who's your friend?" I asked, watching as the she-wolf covered his face in licks.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm running short on ideas (help, please!). I'll wrote longer chapters as soon as inspiration hits, but until then, please review, don't flame, say your prayers, eat your veggies, and have a nice day.


	4. Chapter 4: Wolf's Very Own Stalker

Now for another chapter to highlight your day.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **(slaps forehead) Sorry, I've been having a lot of "blonde-moments" lately :p And thank you for the info ^-^ …Did anyone tell you that you ought to write a book about all the fairytale facts? Because you know so much! (almost like Blu!) And don't worry, I'll throw in the 'mermaid' bit in later (sometimes I like to take things that already happened and make it to where they haven't happened yet) ;) …Yes, you can add Watson, as long as you add in Holmes too XD …And good point. ^-^

XxXxXxXxX

"Would you get off of me?" Wolf snapped at the she-wolf. His little stalker had blonde fur and a black mane, black paws, and a black-tip at the end of her tail. She got off of Wolf and looked over at me, growling.

"Uh, Wolf? You mind introducing us before your stalker rips my lungs out?" I asked, ignoring the glare the female wolf was giving me.

Wolf sighed, stepping between us. "Blu, this is Lox. Lox, this is Blu, she's a friend so there's no need to attack."

Lox stopped growling, walked up and sniffed me, then smiled and began to pant, pawing at the air. "Nice to meet you," I took her paw and shook it, then watched as she walked back over to Wolf, leaning against him, though he moved away. "So, how long have you two known each other?"

"Hardly a week. She's a stray wolf from outside the land. The other wolves informed me that they saw her jumping off the train and wanted me to assist them in keeping her off the territory… though I didn't know I'd be serving as a lure _would you stop that_?"

Lox was nuzzling Wolf's neck, though she pulled away after he snapped at her.

I had to chuckle. "I think she likes you, Wolf." I said.

"I can tell," Wolf sneered.

Jimmy stepped out just then. "Pizza's here- oh, hey Wolf. Who's your friend?" he asked, referring to Lox. The she-wolf sniffed him, growled a little, and stood beside Wolf, who nudged her to calm down.

"She-wolf stalker," I replied first. "Her name's Lox."

"Ah. Why don't you and your girlfriend join us, then?"

"She's not my girlfriend! I hardly know her that well!" Wolf snapped, then pushed Lox away when she leaned on him again. "Do you mind?" he turned back to Jimmy. "I'd love to, Jim, but I've got a matter to attend to," He then pointed up to the stars. "Someone's been wishing upon a star."

Ah, yes. I forgot to mention that Wolf has the power of the Blue Fairy and now has a bigger responsibility in life, didn't I?

"Alright. Good luck- and congrats on the new mate." I called as he ran off, Lox following him.

"Would you cut it out?" we heard him snap.

"So… you gonna come in, or wait until everyone clears out?" Jimmy asked, leaning against the porch-railing.

"What would _you_ do?" I counter-asked in a scoff. Jimmy and I were practically twins when it came to attitude, so we knew each other quite well… which isn't necessarily a good thing for either of us.

He shrugged. "Meh. I'd go for solitude, too. …So, how's life with Silver been since I've moved out?"

"Just as annoying as it was when you moved in,"

"Ah, you'll get used to it."

"I've been trying to get used to it for the past three years. I'm not really the type of person who'd admire sharing a house with another living being,"

"Neither was I… until I found out I needed to." He began walking back inside. "Silver may get on your nerves sometimes, but once you learn how to deal, life doesn't suck as much." he then disappeared behind the door.

I unleashed a heavy sigh, and walked back in, hoping that I wouldn't have to deal with any more unsuspected visitors.

…Then again, I've learned not to get my hopes too high.

XxXxXxXxX

**3****rd**** Person POV**

One thing Wolf loved about his powers was the ability to fly. He didn't sprout wings like the other fairies… all he did was think about soaring, and just floated up in the air, moving his arms and legs the way he would when he ran, and shot through the starry sky.

The only disappointment he found was that, no matter how high he flew, no matter how fast he soared, no matter how cloudy the skies were or far the destination, Lox would always follow him. _I wonder how wolves put up restraining orders, _he thought, looking below and seeing Lox was following him. _Why does she keep following me?_

He flew to the outskirts of town, to a small house that stood in the middle of a field, and he arched an eyebrow. _This can't be right… _But his instinct told him otherwise, and he hovered to the ground, walking toward the window… Lox right by his side. "You'll have to wait out here." He said sternly to her. "This is more of a business matter."

Lox whimpered but obeyed, staying out in the field, watching as Wolf materialized through the window.

Wolf walked across the bedroom toward Pin, who was kneeling by his bed. "I always thought the prosperous hardly made wishes."

Pin flinched a bit, surprised by Wolf's voice, and sighed with relief. "Sheesh, Wolf, don't sneak up on me like that!" he said.

Wolf shrugged. "Eh, it's a habit that comes about when you carry wolf-traits. I heard you wishing…"

Pin sighed, this time more heavy. "Praying is more like it. I'm sorry, Wolf, I wasn't exactly making a wish… I just kneel this way by my bed whenever I say a prayer, and I guess your star was right outside my window tonight."

"Ah, accidents happen. Some for a reason." Wolf sat down beside Pin. "When I heard you, I sensed something was troubling you… Perhaps I could help?"

Pin rubbed the back of his neck. "It's alright Wolf. I'm fine."

"You positive?"

"One-hundred percent."

Wolf scoffed. "I read emotions, Pin. C'mon, if there's something wrong, you can-"

They were interrupted by a howl from outside.

Wolf sighed, smiling kindly. "Excuse me, one second." he then stuck his head out the window. "HEY! I SAID TO _WAIT_! I'LL BE OUT WHEN I'M DONE! …Oh, stop giving me that look! Just… go hunt a rabbit or something!" With that, he shut the window and turned back to Pin. "Sorry about that."

Pin chuckled. "That she-wolf's still following you, eh?" he asked. "Why don't you just give in and hang around her for a while?"

"Because then, she'd never leave me alone. And don't change the subject! If there's a problem, I want to help. Now spill it!"

Pin sighed. "Can I tell you tomorrow? I need some time to think."

Wolf rolled his eyes. "Fine, do your thinking. But as soon as the sun comes up, I expect to hear some answers!" With that, Wolf materialized out the window.

Lox yipped excitedly at the sight of him, and once again began to follow him… though he didn't fly this time, and she could sense concern in his emotions.

What Wolf didn't bring up was the fact that Pin was praying about Blu.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Hmm, something's up with Pin… but what is it? And what does it have to do with Blu? And will Wolf grant his wish? And why does Lox like Wolf so much?

…Wow. Story's hardly begun, and already I've thrown questions at you.

Please review. He who sends flames shall catch fire thyself.


	5. Chapter 5: Possibly the Worst Day Ever

Gaaaah! SO sorry for taking forever to update! My only excuses is that I've had my hands full with babysitting, been editing my other fics… and a crazy weasel broke into my house and stole my laptop. -.-

Well, now that everything's back on track, here's a new chappie!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **First of all, my apologies for turning off the "Anonymous Review" thing, but I'm trying to block off spammers (so if you want to chop off anyone's heads, you know who to go after- not me!) Anyways… I know 'Lox' isn't the most appealing name, but it was the only thing I could come up with :p And yes, when it comes to Blu matters, Pin tends to be quite predictable.

**Kbomb234: **(raises toothpick) Trust me, if suspense even attempts to kill you, it'll think twice ;)

XxXxXxXxX

Ever had a bad day that was so terrible, you thought it couldn't have gotten any worse, but it did anyway and you wish that all those near-death experiences from your past had killed you off and put you out of your misery?

No?

Let me tell you about MY day, then.

It all started on a Monday morning, the kind of day where things are inevitably _supposed _to go wrong. I got a job a year ago at a book-shop, organizing, selling, and (once in a while) purchasing books. It was basically my kind of job because, A) I didn't have to do so much, B) I like to read, C) This store doesn't carry any books based off my cousins (since their tales became old news later on in life), and D) the pay is great and the employee discounts rock!

The store is as big as the Empire State building, with books on every subject, mangas about anything, and even books where the pictures move (yes, just like in Harry Potter- which we also carry). There's at least 21 floors, each with book-shelves that reach the ceiling, and everywhere you go your eyes land on a graphic novel, autobiography, dictionary, magazine, paperback, hardcover- any kind of book. Looking for your favorite comic book? Searching for a story you used to love as a kid that you want to pass down to your own? Seen a movie based off a novel that you're dying to read? This would most likely be the perfect place to search.

Yep. It _was_ a great job.

I was standing on a ladder, stocking the shelves with some new arrivals, and down the aisle I saw some girl about 17, with dark skin, black hair tied back in a long braid that went down her back, wearing a back outfit… and carrying Siamese Twin Swords on her back.

I didn't know who she was, but I figured I'd make pleasantries later.

I went back to stacking the books, when suddenly one fell off the shelf. I climbed down the ladder and put it back on the shelf, when suddenly a novel near the top shelf plummeted. "Huh?" I grabbed the book and climbed up the ladder, just in time to see another one fall. I started heading toward it, when another hit the ground. Before I could even turn my head, another book flew off the shelf.

Then another.

And another.

One book after the other, jumping off the shelves as if they were on fire! "What the Grimm?" I shouted, running to gather all the falling books. I looked over at that girl I'd seen, seeing that she was dodging some mangas that pounced off the shelf at her.

Then came snickering, and I looked around, wondering who was behind all this. "I guess it's true what they say," a disembodied voice said. "Books just seem to fly off the shelves these days!"

Cackling ensued, and before I knew it every book on every shelf on every stand on every floor was falling on the ground, nearly burying a few people or knocking out someone. Mothers were grabbing their children and running out when the Nursery Rhymes books flung themselves at them; An old man ducked under a chair when the Biography section started raining down; A couple teenagers climbed onto the stairway railing when an avalanche of encyclopedias flooded down the stairs.

"_Expodisius_!" A voice shouted out, and suddenly all the books stopped falling, and began floating back to their shelves. In the center of the library stood a man wearing a dark-blue suit, with a long gray beard, hornbill glasses, and a pointed hat on his head. On his shoulder sat an owl.

His name was Merlin, the most powerful wizard of all time… and head librarian.

AKA, my boss.

"Miss Carson?" the wizard called, summoning me. I walked over, rubbing my head and feeling my face to make sure there weren't any paper-cuts. "Might I ask what went on while I was at the pastry shop?"

Before I could answer, some kid beat me. "She was the one who made all the books fly off the shelves!" he shouted. "I saw her in the 'Non-Fiction' section, chanting something!"

"So did I!" Some woman sneered. "She had some book in her hands, and her eyes were glowing!"

Several people were jeering, accusing me. "I didn't do it!" I shouted. "I was stocking books in the 'Autobiography' section!"

"Oh, yeah? Prove it!" Some teenage girl sneered.

I then remembered that girl I had seen, knowing she could probably be a witness… but as I searched the crowd of angered customers for her face, I didn't see any sign of her. _Just my luck, I'm accused of something, and my only witness is nowhere in sight! _I thought, bitterly.

"Everyone, calm down!" Merlin called.

"That girl should be fired!" An old man shouted.

"Why did you hire her in the first place?" A younger man demanded. "Don't you know she's a criminal?"

"Yeah, call the police and report her for unlawful bewitchment-" A little girl was sneering.

"SILENCE!" Merlin bellowed, and the crowd went quiet. "I shall deal with the matter. Come along, Miss Carson."

I followed Merlin to his office. "Merlin, I swear, it wasn't me!" I said. "The books just started flying off the shelf, and then some weird voice out of nowhere started cackling. I have a witness- she just disappeared!" I then thought of a theory, but it was interrupted by Merlin.

"Lets just check the security screens."

We entered his office, where several screens appeared on the wall with a wave of his hand. Unlike most stores, Fairytale security doesn't involve video-cameras that can easily be tampered with, but stemmed eye-balls that are planted in the corner. The only way to tamper with them is to cut off their stems with golden scissors… which isn't a good idea because if you get too close, their pupils will squirt poison in your own eyes, and even if you do succeed, a new eyeball will grow back, followed by an ear-piercing shriek that's guaranteed to make its victims go deaf, if not kill them.

Merlin examined the screens, and I saw something I didn't expect.

Myself… in the 'Non-Fiction' section… with a book… my eyes glowing as my mouth said words I did not know. "B-But… that's not me!" I stammered. "Look, up at this screen, it shows me-"

I froze.

On the screen that showed where I was when the fiasco had started, it only showed the ladder and books flying off the shelves. I also saw that girl, turning and widening her eyes, then jerking her head around and running off.

I, however, was nowhere in sight.

"But… I was there!" I gasped.

Merlin only sighed, sitting in his chair. "I know it couldn't have been you, Miss Carson. I know how much you love your job, and you're my best employee- you're the only one who never seems to complain about your position… you complain about other things, but never any that involve the store." he said, sadly. "But, until I can find out who is truly responsible… I'll have to suspend you."

My mouth hung open, then I pointed at the screen that showed the girl. "That girl! I've never seen her before! She must have done it-"

"I shall keep an eye out for her. But, until then…" Merlin stood up and handed me an envelope. "Here is your week's pay… Lets hope it's not your last."

I sighed, then walked out the library.

XxXxXxXxX

"And then everyone started pointing fingers at me!" I said to Pin as we walked down the street, carrying lattes. "I mean, honestly, do I look like the kind of person who would know how to enchant something?"

"Well, you DID have fairy-powers," Pin said with shrug.

"Be serious. That was barely for 24 hours, and I gave my powers to Wolf. …And I heard this weird voice laughing wildly, though no one ELSE seemed to hear it since I got the blame."

"It was probably a poltergeist. They're always causing trouble, and the one you encountered probably messed with the Eye-Cams- since phantoms can't be hurt by their poison- and changed their visions to make it look like you were the one doing the damage, and erasing your true image from the other vision."

I sighed, sitting down on a bench. "Ah, it doesn't matter, now. I've lost the one job I DIDN'T hate, which means I'll probably be spending a shit-load more time at home with Silver, who will probably tell me that I ought to find a temporary job, even though every other shop in this frickin' land won't even let me set ten paces in front of their place!"

Pin sat down next to me, saying nothing.

"The weirdest part is, some girl was in the same aisle as I was when it happened, and she disappeared before it was over."

"She must be behind it, then…"

"Yeah, but I want to know is, why? I've never met her before, so why would she want to torment me?" I hung my head low, staring at the black-lid of my Styrofoam coffee-cup. "Just when I think my life is getting easier…"

Pin placed a hand on my shoulder- a typical motion for him to do when he's concerned. "Don't worry, Blu. Whoever the vandal was, we'll catch 'em. …C'mon, a walk down the creek may get your mind off of things."

We walked toward the forest, walking along the edge of a large brook, which lead down toward a pond where a few mermaids lounged, and it was no surprise that Pedro and Tink were down there, entertaining them. Pin and I sat down on a rock, hidden behind the leaves of a weeping willow, where a few traces of sunlight were shining on the creek, making the water shimmer.

"Blu, there's something I want to talk to you about." Pin said, sheepishly. "You see, we've been friends for a long time- closer than that, on some occasions- and, I was just wondering if you'd consider-"

I held up my hand, seeing where he was going with this. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA, Pin!" I said, giving a chuckle. "I know we've got a strong companionship, but I don't think it's quite the right time for asking for a date. Especially if one of us had a cruddy day- not really much of a romantic mood, you know?"

Pin sighed. "That wasn't exactly what I was going to ask, but I think you're right on your part." he stood up and started walking off. "I guess this really WASN'T the right time to ask…"

I arched an eyebrow and stepped up to him. "Hold it… what WERE you going to ask me?"

Pin sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing. I'll… I'll let you know, later." And he took off.

I would've gone after him, but when I stepped through the leaves of the weeping willow, I saw that weird girl again, sitting under a tree. Seeing her more clearly, I noticed she wasn't just wearing black, but also several turquoise belts. She had wide turquoise eyes, though her right one was covered by her bangs, and her body seemed to be a perfect hourglass shape. Her ears were double-pierced, bells in the second holes, and a turquoise hoodie sat beside her. She wore a black tank-top and black skinny-jeans (note: must ask where she gets the outfit) and her sais were right next to her.

She was just staring at the creek, possibly lost in thought.

Before I could even call out, "Hey, you!" a wave of water splashed on me, and I turned to see an aqua-blue mermaid in the water, giggling at me, then swimming off.

"Damn mermaids…" I muttered, turning my attention back to the girl.

Once again, she disappeared. Go figure.

XxXxXxXxX

I walked home, hands in my pockets, my blue hoodie hanging off my head as I walked. I always knew weird things always happened to everyone in Fairytale Land, but today gave me just about enough. Of course, I always knew fate loved messing with me, so I didn't drop my guard just yet.

Though I was taken aback when I reached my house.

A bunch of goblins were moving the furniture out of my house, while Silver was arguing with some guy in a classy suit. "Hey, what's going on?" I demanded, running and jumping on a couch the goblins were hauling across the yard, making it slam onto the ground. I stormed up to the man Silver was yelling at, and at a closer glance I noticed he was an elf. "Why are you taking my stuff?"

"Are you the owner of this household?" The elf asked.

"Yes, and I want to know what's with the goblins?"

"I'm going to have to see some paperwork,"

"What?"

"Let me fill you in," Silver said to me, glaring at the elf. "This guy says that this property was purchased ten years ago, and has the nerve to say we're trespassing. I told him it belonged to you, but he kept saying-"

"I just asked for proof." The elf interrupted, keeping his tone cool. "Do you happen to have the deed to the house?"

"No…" I replied. "Everything was lost when it was burned down. But it rightfully belongs to me! I was around ten years ago, but no one showed any sign that they purchased this property- there was just a gaping pit! My parents must've had a will or something that signifies that it belongs to me or SOME family member of mine!"

"Be as that may, until I am shown any paper-work that signifies this property belongs to you, or if you can outbid $1,300,500... I'm afraid you and your-" he gave a disapproving glance at Silver. "Roommate… will have to find another place to stay." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly he disappeared, along with the goblins…

…and my house!

"THAT'S BULL-SHIT! THIS IS MY PROPERTY! I WANT TO SEE _PROOF_ THAT IT WAS PURCHASED!" I shouted.

Wolf then came running out of the bushes, Lox right behind him. "Blu! What's going on?" he asked, concerned. "I could hear you yelling from across the forest-" his eyes then widened. "HOLY GODMOTHERS ABOVE! YOUR HOUSE IS GONE!"

Lox let out a startled yelp.

"Thank you, Wolf, we didn't notice," Silver said, sarcastically. He then turned to me. "C'mon, Blu, we'll march down to the law-offices tomorrow and get this straightened out. …In the meantime, we're going to have to find a new place to stay." he rubbed his chin. "Maybe Jimmy and Radio have room…"

I sighed, walking off. "Go ahead… I'll catch up later." I said, walking off.

"Poor little girl… things just never seem to go your way, do they?" that disembodied voice seemed to say, followed by a "Shush!".

I looked over, seeing that strange girl watching me from on top of a tree branch, her turquoise hoodie tied around her waist.

I didn't give a shit about her right now, and continued walking, not even bothering to state that things couldn't possibly get worse, because-apparently- they always do.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Who's the mysterious girl? Who's trying to sabotage Blu's life? What was Pin really going to ask her? Will she ever get her house back? And what's the capital of Australia?

Please review. No flames or I shall summon a poltergeist into your house.


	6. Chapter 6: Hazel, Sai, and a Stranger

(walks in, wearing a duck-suit) Hello, readers! Sorry for the delay, I- (notices curious looks from reviewers, looks at attire) Oh, this. …Well, uh… it's a long story… Enjoy this next chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks- don'tlookatmelikethat!**

**Kbomb234: **Hope this update was soon enough. And I'm glad you enjoyed the cameo-appearance ^-^ As for Blu… well, may be a while before things start to look up.

**Starspring: **(Hey, Louisiana sounds better than Kansas- trust me, I've been there). Anyway… yep. Kinda wish I had a library like that in my neighborhood (minus the spooks). And thank you for answering the questions, though you're a liiiittle off on Pin's part ;)

XxXxXxXxX

I walked into town and into the bar, The Poison Apple that night. Apparently, there had been a raid, because the place was a mess. I heard someone mention "Street Rat Rebels" and I had a feeling that my cousin Jimmy and his partner-in-crime, Aladdin (Al, for short), had struck again. Noticing the disaster, I wished that I had joined their little game, but I didn't feel like taking part in the publicity.

Plus, I always tended to be a loner when it came to raids. One reason why I never stuck around with Robin and his Merry Men during his heist-years.

I took a seat at a small table in the corner, listening to the blabbering, binging, belching, brawling crowd around me… and the bar-patrons, too. I ordered a glass of blackberry wine- it's the only kind of alcohol I'd ever drink- and rested my arms on the table, staring at the wooden pattern.

I normally went into the bar when I wanted to clear my head, though I never drank more than two glasses of wine. I had promised myself I would avoid getting wasted, consuming drugs, and smoking for my parent's sake. When I first turned 21, Red and the Huntresses wanted to 'celebrate' by taking me out and buying me a few drinks, but I declined- I didn't want to be like Red and end up waking next to some guy I didn't know.

Most people drink for fun (which ends up as some plot for those _Hangover_ movies), some drink to forget (ending up forgetting where they lived) and some just drink because they're depressed (often ending up getting alcohol poisoning, if their troubles are bad enough). …Me, though, I just have a drink so not to tick off the bartender- she hates it when people walk into the Poison Apple and walk out without having no more than a cheap glass of water.

Speaking of which, here comes the witch now. "Here's your usual, Blu," she said with a Brooklyn accent. She was a woman with short wavy brown hair that she always pulls back into a bun, and has never been caught out of her red shirt and black pants, covered with a yellowing-white apron… and a toothpick in her mouth. And, as I've mentioned, she was a witch.

"Thanks, Hazel," I sighed, taking a long sip from my glass.

"Oy, what's with the long face? You look as if you just got a hex put on ya."

I shrugged. "I might as well have. Lost my job, my house, and I think some girl is stalking me."

"Ah, I see. …Well, at least yer not Jack an' Jill. They just got back from Wells Hill, got into a fight, and Jill banged her fist over Jack's crown, denting it right into his skull." she shook her head. "I'm telling ya, those two ought to just git a divorce an' git it over with, before they put one or the other six feet under."

I nodded. Jack and Jill used to be lovers, who went up a hill to make out. One day they got married, but their love lost it's edge, and- no one knows why- they started yelling at each other, which would come to an end after Jill knocked Jack out. "Yeah, well… least they got a house and jobs."

"Meh, homes and jobs hardly matter in these lands, anymore. Nowadays it's like some girl's marrying a prince and moving into a castle, or some straggler is pitting his wits against nature, making a rugged living in the forest, while others- like me- live where they work, so they's can keep an eye on things."

I nodded.

"Trust me, Blu, out of all the bitches in the land, ya ought to consider yourself lucky. Not many girls have the brains or independence like you d- DAMMIT, BILLY! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YA TO KEEP OUTTA THE LIQUOR?" With a wave of her fingers, Hazel shot a bolt of lightening out of her fingernail, sending some drunk out from behind the counter-

*CRASH!*

…And into the wall.

She hated it when people got behind the counter while she wasn't looking. "I'll talk to ya later, Blu. Gotta make sure no other meathead tries to snatch a free drink, again." she told me, then went back to the bar, where several men sitting there stared at her. "What'ya lookin' at?"

The men at the bar turned their attention away from her.

I chuckled, shaking my head. When I first met Hazel, I could tell right away we were going to get along just fine.

I looked into my wine, seeing my reflection in the reddish-black liquid, and I sighed deeply, taking a long drink, then looking back around the bar… and then I saw _her _again.

Without hesitation, I walked over to the girl in turquoise, who sat at a table near the center. "So… new in town?" I asked her.

"What gave you the hint?" she scoffed in reply.

"Obvious, isn't it? Unless you see any OTHER caramel-skinned chicks with swords on their backs running around."

"All I see is some bitch wearing so much blue, she ought to go live with the Smurfs."

We sneered at each other, then I sat down. "What's your name?"

"Sai. Yours?"

"Blu."

She scoffed again. "Charming name. Suits your color."

"Likewise. …So, what brings you here?"

She shrugged. "Just passing through. On a little quest of mine."

"I see. …Well, Sai, been nice chatting with you. Take care- you'll need it."

"Yep, nice meeting you, Blu- try to find a new color, too, before someone accuses you of being a Crypt."

"I'll keep that in mind." I walked back to my table, finished my wine, and left a tip for Hazel.

I didn't know who Sai was… but I had a feeling I was going to like her.

I walked back into the woods, climbing up a tree and looking up at the stars, eventually falling asleep.

XxXxXxXxX

It wasn't the first time I slept in a tree. When I was living with Red's family, I started sneaking out and sleeping in an oak because my cousin and I had to share a room. It. Was. Hell.

I never got used to waking up, though…

*CRASH!*

…and I remembered why I stopped when I turned over, falling into a blueberry bush. Sighing, I stood up, brushing myself off, then looked at my watch. Only 3 AM.

"Trouble sleeping?" A voice asked, and I didn't have to turn around to know it was Wolf.

"Meh, just dozed off. …What are you doing up so late?" I asked, facing him.

He scoffed. "I'm a wolf, Blu. Wolves hardly sleep at night."

I arched an eyebrow. "Yeah… and the truth?"

He sighed, looking over his shoulder. "I've been up all night trying to avoid Lox. We're in the pack's territory, so I'm guessing I lost her- she's not allowed in the territory."

"Why won't the pack let her in? You ask them to be your body-guards?"

"No- well, yes, sort of- but there's a different reason." we began to walk. "Ever since she's arrived, I've sensed this strange… feeling, around her. Like she isn't any ordinary wolf- that there's something more to her than meets the eye."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I believe the answer is obvious, Wolf."

"Really? What?"

"You're in love."

"WHAT?" His expression got a laugh out of me.

"Joking, I'm joking! …But it is plausible."

"Oh, come off it! I've never been in love with anyone except y-" he caught himself.

I rolled my eyes again. "Just let it out, Wolf. I already know."

He cringed. "I know, it's just… I was keeping it a secret for so long, that I always forget you already figured it out."

We came to a clearing. "Well, I think it's time you moved on. No offense, Wolf, you're a great guy, but I don't really have any strong feelings toward you. You should start looking into someone closer to your species, like- Lox!"

He sneered. "Will you stop bringing up that stalking-"

"No, I mean Lox is over there! And… who is that?"

Across the clearing, we saw Lox, sitting under a tree, trembling. Standing in front of her looked like a fox… but bigger, and wearing a suit, cape, and top-hat. From the look on the she-wolf's face, the look of sheer terror, I had a feeling this guy was more troubling than his fashion-sense.

It was no doubt Lox had brought danger to the land.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: And more mysteries will be revealed after this commercial break.

This fic brought to you in part by: Flame-Me-And-You're-Dead Enterprises.


	7. Chapter 7: Love Rises Again

And now for yet another chapter. Slight warning: may contain content not suitable for bunnies. All bunnies reading this should be accompanied by a penguin before reading. Any unattended bunnies who read this chapter without the presence of a penguin shall be grazed by a muffin.

**Reviewer Thanks (please make sure your bunnies have penguins with them)**

**ElizabeththeAwesomeOtaku: **Yay, I missed your reviews! :D Your 'Anchantor' theory is plausible… Glad you liked the refs! (and no, the elf guy isn't related to Jareth… although now I have an incredible urge to throw in 'Labrynth' references).

**Kbomb234: **Glad I got Sai in-character, and yes- you do NOT wanna mess with Hazel. And your question shall be answered right after I give the next reviewer shout-out ;)

**Starspring: **Blu has odd ways of clearing her head. …I love nonchalant conversations, so I had to throw one in ^-^ You'll find out who the fox is AND the question Pin wanted to ask Blu (though that may come later). …I, too, hate commercials, so here's the next chapter!

XxXxXxXxX

Lox trembled, backing away from the humanoid fox. I had no idea who this guy was or why Lox was afraid of him, but I had a feeling that this oddly-dressed furball wasn't much of a pet-lover. "Uh, excuse me, sir, but who are you and why are you trying to corner that wolf?" I asked, catching his attention.

The fox-man turned around, and Lox quickly shot passed him and to Wolf's side, ducking behind him. …I saw that coming a mile away.

The anthropomorphic-fox faced us, swishing his cape behind him as he did so (huh boy). "I, my dear lady, am Professor F.O.X Rancorous," he said, his voice sounding like some sort of uptight teacher I once had in middle school. "And that she-wolf hiding behind your… pet… happens to belong to my Cirque Du Animosities. The door of her traveling cart was found open, and she had fallen off the train."

Lox let out a short bark, giving Wolf a nervous glance. "Escaped? What do you mean?" Wolf asked her.

"Typical animal. They always break out of their cages," Rancorous held up a chain-leash, mussel attached, and began walking toward her. "Now, if you'll just step aside…"

Lox yelped, whimpering next to Wolf. I don't know what she said, but he was suddenly giving the fox-man a harsh glare. …Being with Wolf, I learned how to read emotions, so I could tell that the 'professor' wasn't telling us his full-story. "Exactly… what kind of 'circus' do you run?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

Rancorous smirked, then whipped out a graphic-looking poster with the circus' title, with a skull in the center, and all along the background were frightening animals and ghoulish characters. "A circus of _fear_, guaranteed to make all your nightmares come to life! Our next show is in the next town, and we can't do it without Lox- she's one of our best stars."

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Professor, but I believe Lox wants to quit the show-business." Wolf said, keeping his voice level.

"Yeah. May want to find a new act to replace her- there's a few out-of-school trolls down the path from here looking for jobs, if you're interested." I added.

Rancorous scoffed. "I don't allow typical super-naturals in my show," he sneered, giving Lox a sharp gaze, a malicious smile on his face. "I prefer only the _most _unique, who are already well-trained and are _willing to obey orders_… Come along, Lox."

Lox backed away, still timid.

"I said _come_." On the word 'come' he jerked the chain-leash between his hands, then whipped it forward, the collar flying to lasso the she-wolf-

Until a blue-light engulfed it and shot it back, wrapping around the anthro-fox. I looked over, seeing that Wolf's eyes were glowing bright-blue. "C'mon!" he shouted, and led Lox back into the woods.

I followed, hearing Rancorous cussing in the distance. "Wolf, what's going on?" I asked. "What's with that creep?"

"He's been abusing Lox, beating her with a whip of fire," Wolf said, his tone furious. "Heartless son of a bitch…"

Wolf had a grudge against animal-abuse (considering he's an animal himself), so I suppose that would be the only reason why he didn't let Rancorous take Lox away. I didn't blame him- if I had a stalker who was being mistreated, I'd help them out too.

"So, what are you going to do, now?" I asked as we stopped near the creek. "That whacko obviously won't leave if he doesn't have his she-wolf."

"I'm going to take her to the pack," Wolf told her. "Now that we know where she comes from, I'll try to convince them to let her join them, make sure she's protected. Then… I'm going to track down that asshole… and tear him up until he's nothing but a pile of shredded fur."

…Wolf _really_ despises animal-abuse.

Lox let out a soft whimper, leaning against him. He didn't shove her away this time, but rather put his arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, you won't have to worry about him," Lox looked at him, her eyes sparkling, and nuzzled his neck in thanks.

It was such a sweet scene, I'm surprised I didn't vomit on the spot. "Well, while you're she-wolf sitting, I'm going to go find a place to stay, all the while figure out how to get my house back," I said, then began walking down the path. "Let me know how the plan goes."

"You're going to help, right?" There was a hint of sternness in his tone.

I sighed. "I've got problems of my own, Wolf…"

"I had problems in the past, but I still helped you with yours. I suggest you return a favor."

I clenched my fists, wanting to punch his teeth out right now. "I'll return the favor once I get rid of my own burden. Besides, it wasn't MY decision to take care of a she-wolf." With that, I stormed off.

XxXxXxXxX

**Wolf's POV**

I watched Blu storm off. The animal inside of me wanted to run up and bite her ankles… but I knew better. I wasn't that kind of wolf.

Plus, Blu had a point- she had lost her home, and had no way of getting it back unless she came up with a truck-load of money. And I did volunteer to help out Lox… I was just hoping Blu would be willing to help out.

"C'mon, Lox," I sighed, guiding her down the path. "I know someone else who may be more generous to help,"

I guided her down the path, and she stuck close to me. Normally I'd try to shake her off by flying away or zig-zagging through the trees… but after seeing the douche-bag she had to deal with, I didn't blame her for wanting to stay by my side. I looked at her, seeing the worried expression on her face… and something I hadn't noticed before, on her left shoulder…

A scar, and by the looks of it, it was fresh.

Godmother curse it all, I HATED animal-abusers, and I pray to God that they burn in-

Lox leaned against me, rubbing her muzzle underneath mine. A small 'thank-you' gesture.

I patted her on the back. "No problem," I replied in a whisper.

XxXxXxXxXxX

**Blu's POV (again)**

I had a feeling fate had something big in store for me… but I'll get into that later.

Right now, I think it was just messing with me.

I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going, until I wandered into a large field, passing by a house a short 200 feet away. "Blu? Is that you?" a voice called. I turned around, seeing Pin sitting on his front steps.

"Pin? What are you doing up at this hour?" I asked, walking toward him. It was roughly around 3 in the morning, and Pin was the sort of guy who'd be in bed around 10, so this was quite an odd situation.

He sighed, shrugging. "Couldn't sleep. I've been up thinking about all sorts of things- namely what I should do with my life,"

I arched an eyebrow, sitting beside him. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, I've been hunting monsters since I was fourteen, and realized I haven't done anything else with my life. …I want to explore different horizons and find new opportunities outside the supernatural law-department."

I scoffed. "Tell me about it. I've been wanting to get out of the fairytale-life since God knows how long." I rested my face on my fist. "Especially since some elf swiped my house, unless I find proof that it rightfully belongs to me… or come up with four million dollars."

Pin faced me, shocked. "You lost your house?"

"Basically." I sighed, hanging my head low. "Life is really starting to get grim for me… I lose my job, everyone sees me as a criminal, and now I don't have a place to stay. …All I need now is some deadly disease, and my misery will be complete."

Pin put his arm around me. "Come inside. I think you need some rest…" he said, leading me into his house, up the stairs, and into his bedroom. "You can sleep in my bed tonight, if you'd like. I'll probably be up for another half-hour before the Sand-Man strikes,"

I rolled my eyes. "Might as well offer alcohol to a rehab-member, Pin, because sleep won't be coming to me anytime soon, either."

He sat down beside me, grabbing a remote that went to the TV sitting on his dresser in front of us. "Well, since we're not going to sleep, how about a movie?" Aiming the remote, he clicked on the TV, the setting being on the 'anime channel'.

…Which happened to be showing their 'after dark' specials. Gasping quick, Pin changed the channel, blushing. "Well THAT image will be keeping me up for weeks," I said.

"I swear to God, Blu, if I knew that was going to be on-"

"Pin, relax. Hentais always pop up without warning," I then shuddered. "I just wish you had changed the channel before switching the TV off last. …What were you watching, anyway?"

He blushed deeper. "Ouran High School Host Club… it's one of my favorite shows."

I gave him a look. "Small world, I'm reading the manga." I looked back at the TV, seeing that _Titanic _was on, and it was the scene where Jack and Rose were in the back of some car… well, you can guess the rest. "Ugh, change the channel. This movie always makes me want to puke,"

"Yeah… geez, what's with all the sex on television all of a sudden?" Pin changed the channel, looking for a show that wouldn't make our stomachs lurch. "Honestly, the things they get away with putting on television…"

"Tell me about it. You know what ticks me off most? How all the women act like mindless sluts, practically begging someone to screw them!"

"Yeesh, I know. I don't understand how they allow themselves to be degraded like that. You'd think they'd come up with some plot where they had more dignity!"

"Totally disrespectful- especially how the men are allowed to stay in their boxers while the women have to go all-out! It's a disgrace to females everywhere!"

"And how some of the men show no respect- just rip the clothes off!" Pin shook his head, continuing to flick through the channels. "And the things they do…"

"Don't get me started. They make it all hardcore now… it's enough to make me sick!" I leaned against the headboard, arms crossed. "If I were to make love, I'd make sure it wouldn't involve me ending up in the ICU."

Pin nodded. "I agree. I'd just be content with just kissing and hugging." he set the remote down, leaving the channel on TV Land. "And I wouldn't rush into it, either, like what most guys would do. I'd be patient with you- er, I mean, the girl I…"

"Save it, Pin. …I already know."

He gave me a shocked look. "You… do?"

"Yeah. I knew it the first time we almost did it."

He shook his head, staring down at his hands. "Not exactly… the first time, I was so happy to see you again that… I just wanted to do it. I didn't even give you a chance to react… I'm just glad I stopped before we went too far." he hung his head low. "I wanted to show more respect toward you than that."

I turned toward him completely. "You DID show me respect, Pin… I was the one who wasn't patient- and I was nearly raped that night!" I put a hand on his shoulder. "If we were to go through with it, I'd make sure you were completely ready."

He turned toward me, putting his hand on my shoulder as well. "As I you, Blu." he then began to rub my arm. "You're the most treasured person I have in my life, and I would want to treat you as such. I'd never want to do anything to hurt you, but make all your hurt go away…" both his hands were rubbing my arms now. "If we were to do it, I'd be gentle… softly caressing you, first, to see how you would react…"

I now had both my hands on his shoulders, sliding my fingers up and down. "What if I didn't?"

"Then… I'd wrap both my arms around you…" he did so, rubbing my back next. "And if you pushed me away, I would stop there…"

"And if I didn't push…?" my hands were on his back now, and I felt him running his fingers through my hair.

"Then I would…" his voice faded to a whisper, and he leaned close, his lips pressing onto mine, and he eased me back.

I reacted by pulling him close, allowing him to lay on top of me…

I was experiencing déjà vu at this moment… yet neither of us decided to stop. It was like the first time we almost did it, only we had gotten farther than before…

But we didn't do anything hardcore. We didn't do any of the nasty stuff people put in movies. We were better than that… just kissing and holding each other close.

We didn't have sex.

We made _love_.

XxXxXxXxX

**Wolf's POV**

I stopped by Pin's place at the wrong time.

I had borrowed a car from a nearby 24-hour rental place, in order to reach Pin at a faster pace. Lox lay in the back seat, asleep, as I drove down the path. …And all the other wolves thought it was ridiculous of me to get a driver's license.

I pulled up in front of Pin's house, then knocked on the door. "Pin! Hey, I need your help!" I called… but no answer. "Pin?"

I've seen a situation like this before in movies, and began checking the windows. Either Pin wasn't home, or some slasher broke into his house and-

…Or… he was 'busy' at the moment.

I stared through his bedroom window, seeing that Blu had… (ahem) decided to visit him… only she was doing more than just visiting… oh, Godmother, I shouldn't be watching this- but it's like a car-wreck! It's disturbing, but I can't look away…

Lox barked, taking my attention away from the window, and I quickly went back to her… trying to keep from hurling.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see that Pin and Blu's relationship had improved… but… I still had feelings for her, so it was kind of a shock to me. Lox could definitely sense the way I felt, and whimpered.

"I-I'm fine, Lox… lets just… go see the other wolves." I stammered, turning the knob on the radio. "How about a little music?"

"And now for some tunes for all you late-night animals out there…" The DJ on the stationed announced, and began to play the song…

_~Oh, you touch my ta la la…~_

_~Mmm, my ding ding do-_

I changed the station, looking for a song that wouldn't remind me of what I had just seen.

_~Shut up and sleep with me, c'mon why don't you sleep with me?~_

_~Shut up and sleep with me~_

_~C'mon, uh-huh, and sleep with me-_

I changed the station again… but it wasn't any better.

_~You and me baby ain't nothing but mammals~_

_~So lets do it like they do on the discovery channel~_

I groaned, pounding my head on the steering wheel.

*Beep!*

…honking the horn in the process.

I could sense Lox giving me an odd look, and I sighed, turned off the radio, and began to drive off… promising to visit the nearest Fairy-Pharmacy for some 'Forget-Me-Dust'.

XxXxXxXxX

**Pin's POV**

It was 5 AM.

Blu and I were under the covers now, her head lying on my chest, while she was wrapped in my black shirt. I stared at the ceiling, wondering what had gotten into me. I was only talking, then suddenly… it all happened. I sighed heavily… I hadn't stopped myself this time.

"Pin?" Blu whispered.

"Yeah?" I replied. She hadn't punched me or smart-mouthed to me, so I supposed she had some sort of comment to make now.

Silence.

The suspense was eating at me. Was she mad? I said I'd show respect toward her… yet somehow, it's as if my gestures had persuaded her into making love to me. Surely she would threaten to cut off my (ahem) 'reproductive area'…

"Thanks for getting my mind off today," she said quietly, hugging me tighter. "It helps."

I let out a sigh of relief, seeing the smile on her face, and I rubbed her back, pulling her close. "It's okay…" I said, wrapping my other arm around her, holding her tight.

She hadn't reacted in any way that had caused me to stop… she just went along, so I guess she really enjoyed it. She hugged me tighter, snuggling close to me.

Of course, I realized, I had to ask the question I wanted to bring up earlier that day, now or never. "Blu, I was wondering…" I began, looking down at her.

She was breathing softly… she had drifted to sleep.

_I'll ask her after she wakes up, I guess… _I thought, holding her close to me.

There was no way I would ever leave her now. I made love… and I was going to make sure it stayed strong.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: …Your bunnies were warned.

The songs mentioned were "The Ding Dong Song" by Gunther; "Shut Up and Sleep With Me" by Sin with Sebastian; and "The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang. …The songs they come up with these days…

Please do not _not_ review. Please do not _not_ NOT flame.


	8. Chapter 8: Red Finds Out

I'm bored, so… here's a new chapter.

**Reviewer Thanks Muches**

**Elizabeth: **Yep, you got Anchantor's character down-pat, though he won't be appearing in this story (hallelujah). …Lol, yeah, I had to throw that 'fox' tidbit in. …Never heard of Vocaloids, so no. It's basically your typical "circus of fear". *smacks forehead* Confound it all! I gotta start using grammar-check. …No one likes animal abuse, and those who do should get run over by a semi. …You'll find out what's interesting about Lox soon (though I really like your theory on her changing human during a full moon- it's so original! :D) …You are very wise, and I'm sure your bunny thanks you. …Wolf just might use Brain Bleach.

**Starspring: **To tell the truth, I got the 'circus' idea from that old movie _We're Back- A Dinosaur Story. _Glad you liked the fluff… and yes, the media needs to change it's course before someone's nervous mother throws a brick at some producer's window (if I don't do it first). …Ooh, you are SO CLOSE to what Pin's question is, I'm struggling to hold back what it is!

**Fangface the Second: **Glad the cartooning is going well, and I hope to see some, soon. ^-^ …And, yes, animal-abusers should be mauled to no extent, be gagged, have their faces torn-off, and dipped in a barrel of acid! …Though the fox just may get worse treatment.

**Kbomb234: **Dude, I'M still trying to get the image out of my brain (curse the media!). …I'm sure Blu would've punched him senseless if he didn't make a move, too lol. Yep- she's gonna have to admit it now. …And you've read my mind- that's the PERFECT scene for Sai! :D

XxXxXxXxX

I woke up the next morning, and the first thing I realized that I had given myself to Pin last night.

…Second thing I noticed was that I looked good in his shirt. Black really suits me better than blue.

When I was younger, when Red had first lost her virginity (to who, I don't remember, she's been with so many guys it's hard to keep track), I vowed that I wouldn't be like her and save myself for marriage. _What has happened to me since then? _I asked myself now. _I just… let him go on, didn't even punch him- and I _always_ punch guys when they try to make a move on me! _

I always felt I had too much dignity and self-respect to be like those girls who 'kept having urges' and 'decided to do it when they were ready' and 'couldn't wait until marriage'… yet, here I was now. I had done it… It felt like committing a murder- once you've done it, there's nothing you can do to take it back.

_At least it was with Pin… _the optimistic (and extremely rare) part of my mind thought. _He's a respectful guy, and he didn't pressure you into it- he admitted he'd stop if you showed any signs of resistance, didn't he? He finally built up the nerve to pull a move, at least. …Plus, Red didn't get to him first._

_No girl got to him first. _I reminded myself. I could tell Pin was saving himself for me and me only, and it was because of the way he smiled at me when other girls stood by him, or pulled me close in a non-verbal way of promising he'd protect me, or from the way he'd stick by my side and turn a deaf ear to the tales of my criminal life… or because I happened to read his journal one day while he wasn't looking. _He loves me, and he's showed it…_

Uncertainty came over me just then… I always saw Pin as just a close friend, yet now it seemed I liked him as more than such… and it felt as if the relationship was going too fast…

Before my brain could plunge deeper into my emotional turmoil, Pin stirred and his eyes slowly opened up, the sunlight mixing into the chocolate-brown irises that turned to my robin-blue ones. "Morning," he said quietly, his arm around my shoulders and giving my arm a rub.

"Morning," I replied in a whisper.

We lay there in silence for a bit, the only sound was of a couple birds outside, and the beating of Pin's heart as my head rested against his chest. "So, you hungry? I can make breakfast,"

"That sounds nice, thanks."

He nodded and slid out of bed, the sheets covering his downstairs, and he put on his jeans, then turned back to me. "You can keep the shirt if you'd like. You look good in black," I had to smile.

Great minds think alike.

XxXxXxXxX

Pin cooked up eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast, with a side of orange-juice. I then told him about how I had met Sai in the Poison Apple last night. "She sounds like quite a girl," he said. "You two might get along well if she decides to stick around,"

"Nah, she says she's on some quest," I replied, taking a sip of my orange juice. "What I need to do now is find a way to come up with a butt-load of money to get my house back, let alone find out who that imposter of myself was at the library and why they wanted to destroy my life."

"I've been looking into that, too. It may be a doppelganger."

I arched an eyebrow. "A _what?_"

"A doppelganger- a ghost who appears to be a double of another person. I saw a documentary about them on television last night. They're skilled tricksters, and apparently the only ones who can out-prank a poltergeist."

"So, why did mine get me kicked out of my job? Does it have an after-death death wish or something?"

Pin shook his head. "Probably not. Doppelgangers normally harass people because they're angry, want to cause mischief, or to attract attention. …I heard about a doppelganger who used to be a serial-killer, and committed all these murders that were pinned on a Wal-Mart store clerk. But those are just usual reasons- yours may be something different."

"Different, how?"

"Well… do you know anyone who've you've pissed off lately?"

I gave him a look. "Pin, there's only one person who ever looked remotely close to me, and that was Rudy Holmes, and I'm _pretty sure _he's alive and well, and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd try to mess with me… though he WAS pretty pissed about how I nearly had him fall off a bridge…"

"I didn't mean twin-wise. I meant that someone may have created a doppelganger of you as an act of revenge."

Again, I arched an eyebrow. "_Created_ one? How'd they be able to do that?"

Pin shrugged, taking a bite of a strip of bacon. "You got me. People do the weirdest things with wizardry nowadays…"

I sighed, putting my empty plate into the sink. "Well, I'm going to look more into it. See if you can do some research for me, too- the library banned me for the time being and my laptop got jinxed by a goblin."

Pin nodded. When I was at the door, I heard him jump from his chair. "Blu, wait! I wanted to ask you something…"

"What is it?"

He paused, looking hesitant, rubbing the back of his neck. Whatever he wanted to say must have gotten stuck in his throat, and all he said was. "N-never mind, I'll ask you later."

I shook my head and walked out the door.

…And men say women can never make up their minds.

XxXxXxXxX

I spent the rest of the morning walking along the pit that used to be my basement, seeing if there was any sign of any clue that would prove it rightfully belonged to me… or if another sack of gold was tossed in it again. Three years ago, before my house was rebuilt, we found a bag of loot in the pit after defeating the Red Fairy (long story), and had used it to rebuild the house… now I think it was just a waste of money, since that damn elf had sold the property.

"Oh, my gosh! It IS true!" I heard a gasp, and turned around to see the two little black clouds that always managed to block my sunshine- Red and Goldie. Curly-Locks was the one who spoke, and I noticed a bit changed since I last saw her- for one thing, she looked like a twelve-year-old blonde Red in a blue cape, wearing a white tank-top and shorts.

"Damn, Blu, what did you do to piss off Jareth Stoll?" Red asked me, looking just as surprised as Goldie.

"I didn't do anything to anyone. Some dumb elf came along and- not even bothering to listen to the fact that I've lived here for the past three years and how the property legally belongs to me- took my house!" I replied, bitterly.

"It _legally_ belongs to you?" Goldie questioned.

"That's what I said."

"Did you show him any paperwork, like a will or the deed?" Red asked.

I felt my face flush. "No… Everything was lost in the fire…"

"Check the law-offices, they may have a copy or something." Goldie said, looking into the pit. "Although, if you've been living here so long, you would've thought they'd take your house sooner."

"Did Jareth- the elf- say anything else?" Red asked.

"He just said that someone had bought the property, and that I'll have to outbid more than a million dollars to get my house back." I replied.

"Damn, you really _are _screwed."

Deciding not to respond to my cousins' "optimistic" statements, I decided to take Goldie's advice and head to the law offices to see if they have any records of my parents' ownership of the house, along with a document to prove that it rightfully belonged to me. As I walked, I couldn't help but ponder Goldie's last statement- if the property had been bought so long ago, why hadn't anyone told me sooner?

Red then suddenly ran in front of me. "Whoa, hold it!" she pointed to the shirt I was wearing. "Where did you get that shirt?"

"Oh, this? Pin gave it to me." I put bluntly.

"He just… _gave_ it to you?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Uh, huh…" She then gripped me by the shoulders and stared deeply into my eyes, her pupils boring into mine.

…It was awkward.

She then gasped, jumping back, looking appalled. "No. Way! With YOU?"

"With her what?" Goldie asked, confused.

"With her you know and his own!"

Goldie gasped. "You mean he-"

"Yes!"

"With HER?"

"Yes!"

"Soberly?"

Red turned to me, her eyes locking with mine once again. "Was he sober?"

"Uh…" I responded, confused. "Yeah?"

Red shrieked, nearly falling off her feet. "How? When? WHY? With _YOU?"_

"No frickin' way!" Goldie gasped. "I thought Pin was SMART!" she then glowered at him. "What did you do to him? Threaten him? Bribe him? Tricked him?"

I sneered at them. "Sorry, but unlike Red, I don't give details." I snapped. "And it's none of your business, so keep out of it!"

"With _**YOU?" **_Red shrieked once more.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, and walked off toward town.

Leave it to a natural slut to find out about last night first.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: …I think Red may need a lung-transplant.

Please review. No flames or a leprechaun will river-dance on your computer 'til it turns to dust- oh, and when your computer turns to dust, too.


	9. Chapter 9: The Contract

New chapter, anyone? …Anyone at all?

…Hello?

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **I may do that. And you're welcome ^-^ …Yeah, don't. …That's a long-shot, but *buzzy noise* wrong. …Yes, it's a stealth pun (got from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, to tell the truth). …Don't get me started on Red.

**Kbomb234: **Well, when you've had enough experience you tend to spot a few things (and Red's experienced probably more than the average woman). …Lol, pin-head, I get it XD …Meh, Blu isn't the kind who expresses many feelings, either- though, I'll admit, Pin had better show some backbone soon (which, being the author, I shall make him do).

**Starspring: ***bangs gavel* Agreed. …my brain just exploded from your next statement. I'll get to what Pin wants to ask her soon, though I still think it's a little soon yet (please don't kill me out of anticipation).

XxXxXxXxX

I went to the courthouse, and it was no surprise to me that Silver was walking toward the building as well. "Oh, good, you showed up." he said to me. "I had a feeling you'd spend the rest of the week sulking."

"The only way I sulk is punching someone's lights out," I scoffed, and we both walked into the building.

I didn't exactly _want _Silver with me, since it was basically my house therefore I should handle the matter on my own, but after yesterday's events I figured I'd need _some_ support- and, of course, beggars can't be choosers…

Though, the main reason was that my cousin, Robin Hood, was the chief of police… and he and Silver didn't get along so well, not since Robin turned out to be Jimmy's long-lost father who had abandoned him before he was born, which Silver- haven taken care of Jimmy for so long- didn't exactly appreciate. I mean, I couldn't blame the guy- ever try to explain "the birds and the bees" to a kid that wasn't yours? Not easy.

So, I grew a little tense when we saw Robin sitting at his desk, and- casting a sideways glance at Silver, seeing an angry glint in his eye- had a feeling this was going to be one of _those _moments…

"Hello, Blu," Robin said once he saw us, giving me a smile. His smile faded when he saw Silver. "Silver."

"Hood." Silver replied, calmly.

"What brings you two here?"

"Some elf swiped my house, claiming that the property's been bought and that I need the deed or cash if I want to keep it." I told him, filling him in about every detail, from the goblins hauling out my stuff to not being notified about this information until just now.

Robin's face grew a slight red, and he muttered something under his breath. I didn't hear much, but caught just enough, "…knew they shouldn't have done it…"

"What are you saying, Rob?" Silver asked, firmly. "You know something we don't?"

Robin stood up from his seat. "Follow me. There's something I need to show you,"

We followed him down a hallway, taking quite a few left-and-right turns, then climbing up a flight of stairs. "By the way, where'd you get that shirt?" Silver asked me.

"Friend gave it to me," I replied quickly, then turned to Robin. "Where are you taking us?"

My question was answered, without Robin having to say a word. We stood in front of a door, labeled, "Law Offices: Records and Property Information." …How convenient.

We stepped in, seeing a blank wall and empty room, with nothing but a chair and a table. "Property Deeds, House Sales, Carson, 1990." Robin called.

To our amazement, several hundred drawers appeared on the wall, one of them opening. Robin walked over, pulled out a file, and set it on the table. Looking it over, I noticed it was full of records about my home- from payments, to insurance policies, to damages… yet there was no deed or contract. I was about to ask, until the answer came before my eyes, printed in ink on a small yellowed sheet of paper…

It was a contract signifying that my house had been sold.

_We, Mr. and Mrs. Hood, the sole legal owners of Dry-Tear Lane as of the decease of the previous owners, hereby sign over the deed and ownership to Mrs. Lilliesworth…_

At the bottom were their signatures, along with a lawyer's, and a golden seal of authorization.

Every capillary in my body exploded at this moment.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, making both Robin and Silver jump back. "MY PARENTS DIE, AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY HAS A RIGHT TO JUST SELL THE PROPERTY WITHOUT EVEN THINKING TWICE? DIDN'T THEY EVER THINK THAT I SHOULD KEEP IT ONCE I GOT OLDER? WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING?"

"Take it easy, Blu! There's no need to shout!" Silver snapped, then turned to Robin. "But, I have to agree with her. Why did they just up and sell the property?"

Robin shrugged. "Didn't want it on their hands, thought it would hold too hard a memory." he replied, and I heard the bitterness in his voice. "I told them that Blu's parents might have wanted her to have it, maybe rebuild the house, but they believed it to be ridiculous, thinking Blu couldn't handle living somewhere that reminded her that her parents were gone."

"I repeat again, what the fuck were they thinking?" I snapped, looking over the documents once more. "Didn't they look at the will, or even consulted the land-lord first?"

"Your parents didn't have a land-lord. …And, many people believe, they didn't have a will, either. The only thing they left for you to claim was a security check in a safety deposit box… which my parents took for you, keeping it hidden somewhere."

I clenched my fists. My aunt and uncle, who had took me in, made me deal with bratty cousins, believed me to be a bad influence, and who wanted to send me to therapy because of things I didn't do, had been holding out on me this whole time! Never once had they ever brought up me having a security check, or a safety deposit box, left to me and only me by my late-parents, leaving me to believe I had lost everything… along with being behind my house-heist!

"Robin, you're about to become an orphan." was all I said as I stormed out of the room, down the steps, through the halls, and out the front door.

My aunt and uncle thought I was a terror when I lived with them… well, now they're about to see hell.

XxXxXxXxX

**Meanwhile, in Pin's POV…**

I felt like dirt.

No, lower than that. I felt like a worm beneath the dirt…

No, felt like the dirt beneath the worm beneath the other layer of dirt…

There was just no way of explaining how dirty I felt right now.

I sat in my bedroom at the edge of the bed, my head hanging low. Blu was one of those girls who never gave into something like what I led her into last night… and because of me, she lost something she couldn't get back. _She just lost her job, her house, and now she's lost the one thing that separated her from the other girls out there… _I thought.

What made it worse was that I didn't say anything to her this morning, other than giving her information on who or what may be behind the destruction of her life. I didn't even express my feelings! …Not that she'd be one who'd share feelings, she's too rugged for that… Yet, just because she wouldn't want to exchange words about it, didn't mean I didn't want to pour out my heart to her, tell her how much I loved her and respected her, and how- if she were upset about it- I'd allow her to pulverize me… and how much I wanted to remain with her…

_Then I had to go and choke this morning. _I felt like scum.

I walked upstairs, pulling on a clean shirt and some sneakers, then walked out the door. "No holding back this time," I said, determined.

"Didn't seem like you were holding back at all last night…" came an ominous-sounding voice.

I looked over, seeing a pair of piercing, glowing blue eyes glaring daggers at me, and I knew for sure I was about to pay for my sin…

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Tension and cliffhangers… quite a nice pair they make, eh?

Please review. No flames… there's enough burning in Blu's eyes at the moment. (you do NOT want to cross her at the moment)


	10. Chapter 10: Questions and Demands

Aaaaaaannnnnnddddd… newchaptertime!

**Reviewer Thanks A Trillion**

**Elizabeth: **Huh, I didn't exactly mean to consciously put in a "Princess Tutu" reference… great, ANOTHER subliminal message, lol. …Yeah, I gotta learn to put less idiots in these stories :p …Don't worry, Pin will be fine (or so we think…)

**Starspring: **Good point. That's probably one reason no one ever flames me (hallelujah). …Obviously, Blu's aunt and uncle never really think-through these sort of things. (giving them hell is probably what she's going as we speak). …Alright, alright, I'll go easy on the tension and cliffhangers (eventually, mwuahahaha). …And yay, I hope you'll like the rest of my Ouran story!

**Kbomb234: **You'll find out. …O.O I believe your rant is enough to put Blu's to shame! (I'd hate to see what Sai would think). …Yeah, Pin may just heed your advice and do that. …And a million thank-yous, my friend ^-^

XxXxXxXxX

**Pin's POV (still)**

I breathed a sigh of relief once I noticed who had snarled at me. "Oh, Wolf… it's only you." I said, relaxing a bit and giving a small smile.

Wolf, however, remained to look angered, his eyes still glowing a menacing aqua-blue color. Behind him, a blonde furred she-wolf with black hair, black paws and feet, and a black-tipped tail, stood behind him, a surprised expression on her face… though my focus was more on Wolf, whose glower seemed to deepen the longer I kept eye-contact.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Wolf replied in a calm, yet menacing, tone. "Only that the last girl who would ever give away her virginity before marriage just surrendered herself to you last night, and you don't seem all-too phased by it!"

…Oh, shit, he SAW us last night?

"I can't believe you, Pinocchio!" Wolf shouted before I could utter a reply… and I knew I was in trouble because he never used my full name before. "I thought you cared about Blu!"

"I-I do!" I stammered, backing away as Wolf approached.

"Then why did you… did you… do what you did last night?"

"Wolf, I don't know what happened! Blu had a hell of a day, I couldn't sleep, we tried watching TV, then we started talking, and… and… something just came over us!"

"'Us'? You mean YOU… All these years you've been holding in your urges, and when Blu got close enough to you, you couldn't contain them anymore, could you? So you just decided to take advantage of her right then and there!"

Alright, now he was exaggerating. "I… did NOT force her into it!" I snapped. "I told her that if she showed any signs of resistance, I would stop… but she didn't resist! She showed no signs of wanting to stop-"

"But that didn't mean you couldn't have!"

*bump*

I was against the wall of my house now, Wolf cornering me. "Wolf, please, hear me out. You know I would never to anything to hurt Blu- I love her! What happened last night wasn't done in force, or lust… we just felt close-" I tried to explain.

"And you decided to get closer." Wolf sneered, fury still in his voice.

"But I would have stopped if she resisted… I would have resisted, but…"

"But why?" Wolf stood on his hind legs, glaring eye-to-eye with me now. "You managed to resist last time, because you said you didn't want to hurt her, right? Why didn't you stop now?"

"I…" My mind was suddenly blank. Why wasn't I able to stop? Was it because we were getting so close? Was it because Blu had wanted to continue, making me believe it was okay? …Was it because the media's pornographic films had aroused something within us? (damn the media…)

"Pin, Blu said herself that she would never have sex until she was married- I know this because I heard Red making fun of her for it when they were kids- and she had never took up the offer of going out with anybody… I remember she vomited because someone sent her a poetic card on Valentine's day when she was thirteen! 'Course, it turned out to be a postage-mistake… What I'm saying is, Pin, that Blu had given you her virginity- her innocence, the last of her purity, the… whatever else virginity stands for- yet you seem to be going about your business as if nothing happened! …So, tell me, what made you do it?"

"I don't know!" I finally snapped, my fists clenching so tight they were beginning to pale. "But, I will tell you this- we had made love, we had exchanged virginities… but don't you think for one damn second that I did it without feeling anything! Because I felt something before I did it, while I did it, and even after I did it… and it's that feeling that's giving me the reason to do what I should have done a long time ago!"

I pushed past Wolf and began to trudge off… but he ran in front of me, staring at me eye-to-eye once again.

There was a brief silence between us.

"I swear to God, Pin… you'd better treat her right. If I hear talk that you so much as made her shed a single tear, I'll hunt you down and tear your ass up so bad-"

"I. Won't. Nor would I EVER. Hurt. Blu." I said firmly, then walked past him once again, walking into the forest.

Finding Blu wasn't hard… because halfway down the lane I heard her shouting at the top of her lungs.

XxXxXxXxX

**Blu's POV (hope you're wearing ear-muffs)**

"_I DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU GUYS! YOU LET YOUR DAUGHTER MAKE MY LIFE MISERABLE, DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT OF WHAT I HAD TO SAY, GAVE UP WHEN SOME PSYCHOTIC WOLF HIRED AN ASSASSIN AFTER ME, SAVED UP A COLLEGE FUND FOR RED- WHICH WAS A SHIT-LOAD WASTE OF MONEY- WITHOUT EVEN THINKING I WOULD GO BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT I'D BE IN JAIL BY THAT TIME, AND DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT MY PARENTS AFTER THEY DIED, __**AND NOW IT TURNS OUT YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING SOMETHING FROM ME THAT THEY WANTED ME TO HAVE?"**_

I was more pissed than you could imagine, and you could tell by the frightened look on my aunt and uncle's faces that it wasn't a good time to be in my presence.

I had started bellowing as soon as I kicked open the front door, scaring my aunt into dropping a plate she was cleaning off and making my uncle jump from his chair, the newspaper he'd been holding tearing in half. "Blu, what's the meaning of-" my uncle began to demand.

"All my life… Ever since my parents died… you've been keeping secrets from me." I snarled, my fists shaking with fury. "You never said that my mother had been the Blue Fairy, or that my father had once been a beast inside a castle, or that you had _kept a safety deposit box I was supposed to have and sold the frickin' property that I was living on for the past three years!"_

My aunt and uncle exchanged horrified looks, now realizing that they were in deep shit. "How… how did you find…" my aunt began to ask.

"Robin told me everything." I walked toward them, still feeling anger welling up inside me. "Didn't it ever once occur to you that I might actually HAVE a future? That I might have at least WANTED to rebuild my house and live where I used to? Did you guys even THINK that my parents might have left something IMPORTANT in that safety-deposit box for me? Something that might have KEPT my life from being such a living hell? Didn't you?"

My aunt and uncle only looked at their feet, in shame. …In response, I threw a lamp to the floor, making it shatter at their feet.

"DIDN'T YOU?"

"ALRIGHT!" My uncle shouted. "So we sold the property, so we took the safety deposit box… we were only thinking of you!"

"We sold the property because we felt that-" my aunt began, sobbing.

"That it might remind me that my parents were dead?" I sneered. "Living with your bitch of a daughter was a harder memory of THAT! I wouldn't give a damn about living in my own house where memories of my parents were, as long as I didn't have to live with YOU people!"

"That's enough!" My uncle snapped. "We were only caring about your well-being-"

"MY WELL-BEING? You didn't give FUCK about my well-being when you let Red get away with stealing my jeans and cutting them into slut-shorts, or letting Goldie blame me for eating Aunt Sophia's birthday cake without hearing my side of the story… or letting me get shut out of all those damned fairytales everyone else got to be part of!"

"You turned into a criminal!" My aunt tried to argue.

"I turned into a criminal because you MADE me out to be one! You saw me as nothing as trouble, so I BECAME trouble… yet it never crossed your minds to stop spoiling your daughter and bratty niece to hear about what I needed! You never thought that if you at least LISTENED to me, I would have been different! …But no. You always sided with your daughters. You refused to hear me out. You kept secrets from me… and now I want what's rightfully mine! Where's that damn safety-deposit box?"

My uncle trudged over to the closet, tore it open, and grabbed something from the top shelf- a small metal box. He then shoved it into my hands. "Here. The reason we 'kept' it from you was because your parents didn't want you to have it until you were eighteen… We forgot about it when we thought you were dead." he said, bitterly. "Now… get out."

I was out the door before he even said it, not looking back.

"Blu!" I heard Pin call, seeing him running down the lane. "Blu, I need you ask you som-"

"Not now, Pin." I replied, walking past him.

"It's important!"

I sighed bitterly, turning around to face him. "Alright, make it quick."

But now he seemed hesitant. "Is… everything okay? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing… except my aunt and uncle are total liars who don't give a shit about their orphaned niece!"

I filled Pin in on everything that I discovered this morning- knowing he wouldn't leave me alone unless I told him- as we walked down the path. Once I finished, he looked absolutely stunned. "Wow, I knew you hated your aunt and uncle… and now I can see why! They must have been drunk to keep this from you! Although…" he looked at the metal box. "They did say you weren't supposed to have that box until you were eighteen, and they DID assume you were dead when you ran away seven years ago…"

"Yet nothing jogged their memory when they found out I was alive… let alone never had the thought that they could've left the security-box at the police-station!"

"Quite right… so, what do you suppose is in the box?"

I sighed, examining it. It didn't have a lock, yet it seemed secure. "I don't know… I'm going to open it once I get back to the office. …Maybe it's an instruction manual on how to exterminate elves." We came to the creek and sat on a rock. "…So, what did you want to ask me?"

Pin rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I don't know if this is the right time to bring it up now… I mean, I should wait until you blow off some steam…"

I rolled my eyes. "Pin, the only way I could blow off steam right now is to commit second-degree murder, yet that won't be happening anytime soon. …Besides, I basically have an idea of what you're going to ask, anyway."

He looked at me, surprised. "You do?"

I did. I mean, it was quite obvious, wasn't it? He had tried to ask me twice now, and each time he looked nervous. Plus, he had made love to me- and, knowing Pin, he would have to love me enough to hand over his innocence- which was a sign that he wanted to be close to me…

"Sure… but, the truth is, with everything going on at the moment, I don't think there's a chance." I admitted. "I've got to find a way to get my house back, I've redeveloped some old family-issues, I've lost my job, Silver's still living with me (despite we don't have a house to live in anymore), and… well, I'm just not ready to have a relationship yet. I want to stay friends, just until I get things solved and have time to clear my head, alright?"

Pin looked at his feet, rubbing his nose. "I… I wasn't going to ask to be your boyfriend, exactly, but I suppose I get the picture." he sighed.

I arched an eyebrow, having been sure I had him figured out. "Then… what were you going to ask me? Don't hold back this time, either!"

Still looking at his feet, he reached into his pocket and pulled out… Oh. My. Godmother.

"I was… going to ask you to marry me." Pin said, holding up the ring.

…I honestly was not expecting that.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: …Was anyone?

Please review. No flames. Flames are for those who deserved to get sacked. (holds up gunny-sack) Don't think I'm not kidding!


	11. Chapter 11: Riddle Me This

Sorry for the delay, everyone, but I got delayed after- during the process of thinking back to my childhood- I got the "Meow Mix" jingle stuck in my head, which interfered with my inspiration. But, now it is out of my head, I finally give you the next chapter.

…Now, could someone help me get that "877-Cash-Now" song out of my head, please?

**Reviewer Thanks (meow meow meow meow…)**

**Scoobycool9: **Yeah, I figured so. We all knew it was going to happen sooner or later, right?

**Elizabeth: **That's character-block for ya. …Glad you liked the transition, lol. Considering Blu was actually shouting more than asking questions, I didn't pay much attention (when someone's that angry, it's hard to pay attention to the proper punctuations). …Good show, Watson. …I have no idea myself- or DO I? (hope so- I'm writing this story!) …Yep. Biggest question in the universe.

**Starspring: **There are two things you should never tick off in this world: Wolves and Blu. …Sorry for the mind-blowing! I'll clean up the mess if you want. …Thank you ^-^

XxXxXxXxX

It had been three days since Pin asked the big question, and I was still surprised.

…To tell the truth, I figured Pin would propose to me someday- but not THIS soon! Sure, he loved me, I loved him back, but our relationship was still on the 'friend' status (just check our facebook pages). We hardly ever went out- only hunted a couple creatures once in a while, though that was more like teamwork- showing our affections included mostly just hugging (well, Pin was doing most of the hugging. I was the one keeping an eye out for anyone who'd think we'd gone soft), we only kissed maybe a couple times, though it wasn't too passionate… And I never really gave thought to either of us sharing a future.

_Maybe it was out of panic. _I began to think. _Maybe he only proposed because we had made love, and he has some sort of belief that that's a rite of passage you undergo to get married… though, of course, it normally works the other way around according to other religions…_

You're probably skimming through this story, wondering what had happened after he took out the ring? Well, just to get the thought off your mind and keep you off my back about it, the conversation went a little like this…

**~How the Conversation Went~**

Pin: Blu? Are you alright?

Blu: 0_0

Pin: I-I know it seems rushed, but… well, we've known each other for a long time, and you're the kind of girl I'd like to be with- what's wrong?

Blu: N-Nothing… e_0

Pin: But… your eye is twitching. (pockets ring) You know, lets just pretend I didn't say anything, okay? Just until you get your problems solved. I'll go look into my 'Doppelganger' theory…

Blu: Okay… um… I'm going to go try to open this box…

Pin: Right. (walks off)

Blu: (runs to the nearest stream and vomits) Blaurgh!

Mermaids: HEY!

**~End Of Conversation~**

Yeah. Didn't go so well.

I hadn't heard from Pin since then, which REALLY lifted my spirits- sarcastically speaking. I was staying at Jimmy's apartment with Silver, up until one night when he said he had to leave because of an urgent matter involving Rudy getting kidnapped. Al, Jimmy's friend, decided to give Silver a lift via flying carpet- which was the quickest kind of transportation known in all of Fairytale Land. I would've given anything to get out of the land after the awkward incident and issues I've had to deal with… but there wasn't that much room on the rug and I didn't want Al to go through a second-trip, so I was on my own in the apartment until Silver returned (I swear I could hear the angels sing for a brief moment).

To add to the tension, I was having trouble getting my parents' security box open, which began to increase my frustration to the breaking point. "What is in this box that's so important that they'd have it sealed so tight?" I asked myself, staring at the box as I sat by the pit that marked the spot where my house used to be.

Wolf came walking up to me (no surprise) and sat down beside me. "Still can't get that box open?" he asked. I always filled him in on these sort of things- otherwise he'd never shut up until I told him.

Lox sat on the other side of me, sniffing the box, cocking her head to the side.

"Pretty much," I answered, setting the box aside. "Right now, though, I'm still trying to come up with a way to get everything back from Jareth, all the while find out who this 'Lilliesworth' person is, and figure out the best method to slaughter my aunt and uncle without leaving a trace."

Wolf picked up the metal box, observing it. "Maybe it's a puzzle-box…" he suggested, tipping it side to side, then giving it a small shake. "There's gotta be a clue or button here someplace…"

I scoffed. "Yeah, right. I've checked every corner of that box, but didn't find sh-"

"Blu, look!"

Wolf had swept his paw across the top of the box, and his medallion started to glow. Lox took a step back, while I leaned forward, checking out a bizarre inscription that was suddenly written across the box in bright, blue words…

_The time for empty will come at the full._

None of us understood the message. At all.

"What the Grimm is THAT supposed to mean?" I scoffed.

"It's a riddle," Wolf said.

"I KNOW what it is! …Question is, how do we solve it?"

Wolf rubbed his chin, pacing. "The time for empty will come at the full… empty at the full… time for empty… at the full…"

"Okay, repeating it over and over isn't helping, much." I grabbed the box from Wolf, and the words suddenly disappeared. "What I want to know is, why did those words show up for you?"

Wolf looked at his medallion, then snapped his fingers. "Because of my powers! Your mother must have enchanted that box so that whoever inherited her power- which was meant for you- would be the only one who could figure out how to open it!"

It was the only logical explanation, so I kept myself from sharing criticism. Lox sniffed the box again, then walked back toward Wolf, having lost interest. I then noticed there was some sort of scar on her shoulder, and I was suddenly reminded of some other moron on my hit-list.

"Whatever happened to that fox-guy, do you think?" I asked.

Wolf shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe karma caught up to him and a bunch of badgers ripped off his face." he replied, his tone dark once again.

He's still pissed about animal-abuse, you can tell.

*Thonk!*

"Oof!"

Something- well, someone- fell on my head just then. "Blu! Oh, thank goodness!" Lena gasped, out of breath. "You must come quick!"

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Blinker, Iris, and Seek are in trouble! I was over at their house, just having a visit, when suddenly everything in their hole began flying around, and we kept hearing this snickering!"

The situation sounded all-too familiar, and I got to my feet. "Lets go!"

Blinker, Iris, and Seek were your well-known Three Blind Mice. Though they couldn't see, the rest of their senses were extra-keen, which they used for their Ninja skills and-

Alright, alright, YES it's funny that they're blind and their names are Blinker, Iris, and Seek. Laugh it up. (You're not the first one to find it hilarious).

As Lena mentioned, they lived in a hole underground, which belonged to their seeing-eye muskrat, Kibbles. Finding them wasn't hard, because just as we were ten paces from their hole we saw the three of them above-ground… and in the strangest situation.

Kibbles was leaping upward, trying to rescue the rats; Blinker, the black rat, was being tossed side-to-side by a pair of floating paws; Iris, the gray rat, was being strangled by a disembodied blue-striped tail; and Seek, the white rat, was being dangled in the air by a floating mouth!

I hadn't seen so many severed body-parts since the Great Jack-O-Lantern Massacre on Halloween in '97.

"Let us go, you psycho!" Blinker shouted as the left paw squeezed him.

"Yes, release us, or thy soul shall be penetrated with the ferocity of my vengeance!" Iris yelled, trying to wriggle out of the tail.

"Aye, get yer filthy whatever-ya've-got-us-wit', ye wretched demon!" Seek snarled, thrashing his tiny sword around.

As you can tell, the three mice spoke in different dialects, but that's not really the matter at the moment. "Don't worry, guys! I've got help!" Lena called.

"WHO'S THERE?" The three mice cried out.

The mouth snickered. "'Ou can' 'elp 'em, it'll sfoil te game!" it said, keeping a hold of Seek.

"Didn't your mother tell you NOT to speak with your mouth full?" I sneered, taking out a pair of knives (I always kept a few weapons on me).

The mouth laughed, dropping Seek, and disappeared, along with the paws and tail. Lena guided the three mice back into their hole, while Kibbles guarded the entrance. "You honestly think you can skin a cat you cannot see?" the voice was clearer now, and I noted it had a British accent. "You'll never get near, if you try to go far…"

"Great, MORE riddles," Wolf scoffed.

"Ah, the fairy-wolfian, who's colors burn red despite inside he's blue…" The voice seemed to drift everywhere, making it impossible to pinpoint exactly where it could be.

Impossible… if not for Lox, who's ears perked up, and she began barking madly at a tree. "It's up in the tree!" I shouted.

"Whoever said blondes were dumb were blonde themselves," A head appeared now… a cat's head, which was bright-blue with stripes and had large, purple eyes, and a very wide grin that never faded.

I scowled. "The Cheshire Cat… Figures."

You've all heard of that tale of "Through the Looking Glass" aka "Alice in Wonderland", right? Well, let me tell you this: I know absolutely nothing about what actually happened in either of those tales. All I know is that they made over a dozen movies out of it. …The only fact I can share with you is that "Underland" (aka Wonderland- I'll never understand how it was called that) happens to be a neighboring country across the sea from Fairytale Land.

The thing that pissed me off about the place was that several people, let alone creatures, from there tended to drift into Fairytale Land illegally, some of them going as far as calling themselves actual 'fairytale' characters… and the Cheshire Cat was the one creature that annoyed me the most.

"Go back to your own land, you mangy cat!" Wolf snapped, his fists glowing with a blue vapor. "Or I'll separate your body-parts the PAINFUL way!"

"Tut-tut, no need to be so violent," The Cheshire Cat said, his grin remaining wide, and his fur then turned turquoise. "I'm in the middle of helping out a friend, at the moment…"

"Helping with what? A mouse-hunt?" I scoffed.

"He's actually not all that helpful when he's goofing around," A voice sneered, and we looked over, seeing an unfamiliar face.

…Well, unfamiliar to Wolf and Lox, but not so unfamiliar to me.

"What are you doing with this cat?" I asked Sai, as she stepped forward.

"We ran into each other when I first came here, and he's been showing me around, saying he knows where I could find a map that would help me with my quest," Sai replied, giving the Cheshire Cat a glare. "Though all he's done so far was lead me in circles."

"I've lead you to where you needed a guide, and now it is time for you to guide your new leader," The Cheshire Cat said, then began to disappear.

"Hey, wait! Get back here!"

But the cat was gone.

"Lead you to where you needed a guide?" Wolf repeated, arching an eyebrow. "What do you suppose THAT means?"

I gave Sai a glance, and I had a feeling the answer was obvious. "I may be wrong… but I think he had planned to lead you to me," I said.

Sai gave me a look. "Just when I thought this land wasn't crazy enough…" she scoffed.

We walked through the woods together, both of us probably thinking the same thing: What next?

XxXxXxXxX

**Meanwhile, in Third-Person POV…**

A gleaming white limo with a golden trim drove down the street. In the backseat sat an elderly woman, dressed in regal clothing with her hair done up, and across from her sat two young blonde girls, who looked completely identical: long blonde hair, white slim dresses, perfect hour-glass shaped bodies, and fair skin. The only difference was that one girl at violet-purple eyes, and the other girl had pink eyes.

"I wish for you to be on your best behavior," The old woman said in an uptight voice, giving the pink-eyed girl a sharp glance. "Especially you, Rosietta. I don't want you causing trouble for your sister!"

"Yes, ma'am." Rosietta said, though deep down she didn't mean it.

The old woman looked at the other girl. "And Posenta, be sure to remember your manners. Remember what we've practiced,"

"Yes, Madame," Posenta said quietly.

The limo stopped at a classy hotel, and they stepped out, walking toward the front desk inside. "Did you bring the bauble, Pose?" Rosietta asked her sister in a whisper.

"You know it, Rose," Posenta winked.

Hand-in-hand, Rosie and Posie skipped toward the elevator after their aunt rented a room.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: What's the riddle about? Why did the Cheshire Cat want Sai to go with Blu? What kind of plans do Rosie and Posie have in mind? Whatever happened to Professor F.O.X? And will Blu and Pin ever get things straightened out? And WHAT IS INSIDE THE BOX?

All these questions and many more will be answered… eventually. In the meantime, REVIEW!

(but no flames, k?)


	12. Chapter 12: Hell Hath No Fury Like Sai

Well, here's a new chapter, at long last!

**Reviewer Thanks For the Chickens**

**Elizabeth: **I hate it when the review-thingy does that too, AND the story-upload thing! :p …You must be really good at puzzle-solving o.o …Once again, you have a very good point. That's one thing about fairytales people- including myself- never really pay attention to (I didn't put in a Wizard of Oz ref in tho… yet). …Rosie and Posie are a reference to that old nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie". …0_o *mind explodes* You have an odd imagination- I LIKE IT!

**Scoobycool9: **The Cheshire-cat is my favorite character too (from the 2010 film, that is). Lets just say our new characters may just be trouble… and I don't know- as hard as I can make 'em.

**Kbomb234: **Your outburst made me laugh, that's all I have to say, lol. …And I figured as much (anyone who never gives a clear answer would end up on ANY one's hit-list).

**Starspring: **The jingle is nothing compared to the commercials if you ask me :S …Wow, talk about knowing your readers- or readers knowing their authors, or however you'd put it. …Mischievous characters are the best! :D …You're right on Rosie and Posie's parts. …And they'll figure out the riddle soon enough ;)

XxXxXxXxX

I sat with Sai in the Poison Apple that afternoon, a box of curly-fries between us. Wolf sat beside me, while Lox lied under the table (Hazel never objected to having animals in the bar- just so long as they didn't make a mess). So far, the only thing we all figured out was that the Cheshire Cat had brought us together for a reason.

The mystery was… why?

"So, what's this quest of yours?" I asked Sai, figuring that would be the only way to start this investigation.

Sai was twirling a fry in her fingers, looking bored. "Meh, just an identity crisis. Woke up one day without knowing who I was- only thing I knew was that I knew how to cause pain to anyone who annoyed the shit out of me. I've been on the road for a while, searching for any signs that could spark my memory, but so far I haven't found fuck, and the dreams I've had make no sense whatsoever." she told us.

"Dreams?" Wolf asked, cocking his head. "What kind of dreams?"

"Just bizarre ones, it's hard to describe 'em."

"You brought up a map, too." I added. "Any comment on that?"

"Yeah, that damned disappearing cat said there was a map that would help out with finding out who I really am, but the furry asshole must've been messing with me."

"Eh, you get a lot of that around here. Just pray you don't run into Puss,"

"Puss? Who the hell is that?"

I told Sai about Fairytale Land's own Puss in Boots- starting with how he had caused my house to burn down and killed my parents, slaughtered a family I was close to, and how I promised to take off every one of his remaining nine lives. Wolf only sipped his drink casually, not wanting to add to the storyline.

Sai nodded, rubbing her chin. "So, where's Pussy now?"

"Met some calico stray and took off for Europe, last time I heard," I replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't really give a damn- I'm just sorry I wasn't able to chop him up and ship him to China."

"Boy, you must really hold a grudge. …I like that." She leaned back, relaxing a bit. "Anyway… got an idea on how to help me out, or am I just wasting my time?"

I looked at Wolf, who gave a shrug, and I turned back to Sai. "Meh, we'll help you out. I can take you to my cousin, Robin, and see if there's any records on whoever you are."

Sai shrugged. "Mm. It's a start…"

We left the bar, leaving a tip for Hazel, and we weren't even a block away from the bar when a blaze of fire whipped out at us, making us- namely me- jump back. (Hey, I HATE fire, alright?). Standing before us was that son of a bitch, Professor Rancorous, holding a leather whip that was covered in flames from the tip down to the handle.

Lox gave a yelp and hid behind us, while Wolf stepped up, his green eyes turning a fierce blazing blue color. Sai took out her Siamese Twin Swords, while I drew out my daggers. "What are you doing back, fox-man?" I demanded.

"I told you, I'm not leaving without my star. Hand over Lox, or I'll burn you all into ashes!" Rancorous snapped.

"I thought I made it clear: She's NOT going with you," Wolf snarled, a blue vapor appearing in his palms. "Now, get out of Fairytale Land, or I swear to God-"

"Save your breath, blue-eyes! This isn't your fight… That she-wolf is mine!"

"She doesn't belong to you! No animal should belong to you!"

"Listen up, fox-fuck, you'd better back off. I don't know why you want some wolf so damn bad, but I think it's pretty obvious that you won't be getting her with any of us standing," Sai said, glowering.

Rancorous scoffed. "And what would a whore like you threaten to do?" he questioned.

All I can say is, Rancorous probably wished he hadn't said that. Faster than anyone could ever react, Sai lunged, swinging her sais and giving the anthro-fox a gash in his gut. He swung his blazing whip, but it had no effect- Sai was quicker, swinging her swords in a fan-motion and dicing the whip into pieces. She then kicked the man-fox in the 'place where the sun don't shine', swung a sword that rendered a slice on his throat, then threw her swords up in the air- while they swung down toward the earth, she punched Rancorous in the jaw, air-kicked him in the temple, bent his arm until it snapped, and flipped him over her shoulder and onto the ground- then caught her swords, holding them in a scissor-like manner at the fox's throat.

There was no word to describe how frickin' awesome this girl was, as I stood there, awestruck in admiration.

"I suggest you learn how to properly address a woman, you dumb fuck," Sai said coldly. "Any last words before I cut off your head?"

Rancorous said nothing… but threw a pebble to the ground, disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Damn it, I HATE it when they use that trick!" Wolf snapped.

"Pussi." Sai sneered, strapping her swords back onto her back. "They always run, never man enough to die in defeat."

"Tell me about it," I scoffed. "Ah, well. The bitch will probably show up again- if he's stupid enough."

"Well, are we going to just stand around, or are we going to get on to this quest I'm on?"

"Hey, I'm waiting on you,"

"Pfft. I now see what Cheshire meant when he said I had to 'guide my new leader',"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, like I'M the one needing guidance. YOU'RE the one who needs a map!"

"Oh, shut the fuck up, already! You'd probably get lost even if you HAD a map!"

"You'd be lost even if you were already where you needed to be!"

XxXxXxXxX

**Wolf's POV**

I could tell right away that Blu had made a new friend.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Sorry for the shortest chapter in history, folks, but I'm running low on inspiration :p Do not lose hope, however, for something shall happen in this story that will get us to some more action!

In the meantime, please review. No flames, or else… um… dammit, I'm running out of smart remarks, too!


	13. Chapter 13: Plague Sisters

Man, I'm sorry for the long wait, guys! But I've been working on my new house, have had issues in babysitting, my hamster's army has been trying to invade Europe, my neighbor's penguin just exploded, and I've been leading an undercover troupe of illegal aliens from Jupiter back to their rocket ship…. BUT, at long-last, here's the new chapter!

**Reviewer Tha-HIT THE DECK! *penguin explodes***

**Elizabeth: **…Confound it. …I forgot about that story, thanks for bringing it up! (it actually inspired something). …Muahahaha. …Agreed.

**Scoobycool9: **We all hope so, but I have a feeling he'll be dumb enough to return.

**Starspring: **Thank you, I always try to do my best when it comes to action-scenes. …Some people just can't handle death :p …My imagination is back, so it's all good!

XxXxXxXxX

Sai had decided to stay with me at Jimmy's apartment. …No, I didn't invite her to stay, she just felt like crashing here for a while until we found the map, solved her identity problem, and got her the hell back on her way… Which is a shame, since I'm growing fond of the little smart-ass (not that I'd want to pick out curtains).

I sat at the table, reading _The Daily Grimm, _Fairytale Land's most popular newspaper, the headline being about Princess Ariel, the littlest mermaid, committing suicide because the prince she fell in love with didn't want anything to do with her, and her father told her to move on… I don't really thing he meant 'move on to the afterlife', though.

Sai walked in, raided the fridge for a glass of orange juice, and sat down. "So, when are we seeing your cousin?" she asked me.

"Let me eat breakfast first," I replied in a sigh. Normally I'd start the day with some comment, but at the moment I was lost in thought.

Wolf went to the forest to drop Lox off with the wolf-pack, where he guaranteed she'd be safe until Rancorous was caught and thrown in jail (though I put my money on Sai turning him into a fur-coat, first). I was sure Pin would have heard about the event from Wolf- the two knuckleheads always shared stories about me- and would have called or stopped over by now, just to make sure I was alright, but I haven't heard a word from him since I nonverbally turned down his proposal. _Maybe he's sulking somewhere, _I thought. _Did I hurt him that bad? …Nah, I doubt he'd be hurt from THAT. I mean, he asked me right out of the blue, and we've hardly been on a date! …Okay, we made love, but there's no reason to rush into things!_

"Hey, Blu? You still with us?" Sai said, tapping my forehead.

"What?" I asked, shaking out of my thoughts.

"About time. You've been staring into space for the past three minutes. I was asking you if you had any leftover bacon,"

"Oh, yeah. In the pan." I stood up from my seat. "I gotta go shower."

"Fine, but then we're heading out, alright?"

"Whatever."

I stepped into the bathroom, showering and washing my hair, trying to keep myself from slipping back into my thoughts of Pin (which, considering my current position, would be a little _too_ awkward) and only asked myself what fate had in store for me today.

XxXxXxXxX

**Posie's POV**

Rosie was always the favorite twin.

She was the most graceful, the most polite, the most honest, the most kindest, and the most generous… At least that's how our aunt Lilliesworth described her, having taken care of her the most since our birth.

Me? I was considered the most rude, the most disrespectful, the most troublesome, and the most juvenile. Auntie considered me to be the 'plague' of the family, especially how she would say I'd 'spread my mischief' onto my sister and get the both of us in trouble. We were known as the 'Black Plague' girls, from all the stunts we've pulled, from making our servants switch bodies to having the house-cats walk on the ceilings… our pranks being the worst thing since the lethal disease.

Don't get me wrong, we're not really all that bad. We just do it to drive our aunt crazy! At least I do- especially how she's always pointing out my flaws and claiming I bring shame to the family. I once even heard her say my mother was better off with just an only child! …Got her back by making the toilet scream every time she sat her fat-ass on it.

Our parents had died from an internal illness when we were little, which was why we're forced to deal with the fat cow. To make it more suckier, my aunt was the only heir to claim their fortune… if she could get us married by our 21st birthday, that is. She had doubts that I'd ever be married, and focused more on finding a suitor for Rosie- claiming I could just find some bum somewhere. (I promised myself I'd turn her entire wardrobe into moths)

That's why we're in Fairytale Land now, to meet the man she's chosen for Rosie. She sat in the other room with her, styling her hair, while I sat by the window, looking down at the streets. I reached into a small knapsack and brought out the bauble- a white orb with incredible powers. Our parents were faeries, and transferred all their powers into it before they died, secretly giving it to me and my sister to use when we needed to (…needed to give Auntie a good kick in the keester, I should say). It's power only worked when Rosie and I both had our hands on it- which didn't seem so unfair to me, since she and I have always done things together.

I did a double-take just then, looking down at the sidewalk, seeing a girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and standing to be at least five-feet tall. _No, it couldn't be! …Could it? _I wondered, rubbing my eyes to make sure they weren't tricking me. I looked again, but the girl had already disappeared around the corner. _Wait 'til Rosie hears about this!_

XxXxXxXxX

**Sai's POV**

I normally never threaten cats, or any animals. I loved cats! …But I swore to myself that if I ever came across the Cheshire Cat again, I'd turn him into a rug for the Three Blind Mice.

I had spent days in this sugar-coated city, yet haven't found shit about who I really am, even though the dumbass furball told me the answers would be here! …Well, actually he said "The land where fables are true, will show the map that shows you are who," …Damn, I hate riddles!

We walked to the police station, walking up to three pigs. "Hey, Iggy, where's Robin," Blu asked.

I could tell from the looks in the pork chop's eyes that he didn't really like Blu too much. "Why? Need someone to testify a case for you?" he sneered.

"No… We want to know if he knows anything about me," I replied first, before Blu could make a death-threat. "Are there any records that show who I am?"

"An amnesiac, eh?" One of the other pigs said, rubbing his chin. "I'd check at the hospital, rather than here."

"The hospital records also relate to the records you have here," Blu retorted, and I could tell from the vein in her temple that she was close to losing her temper. I didn't blame her. "Now, could you show us any files that would match Sai's description?"

The pigs muttered something to each other, and one of them walked off. "Ziggy will check," Iggy said. "Why don't you two… 'ladies' wait over there?"

We sat down in a couple of chairs. I suppose it was my turn to space off now, because I became lost in thought. I've been trying to figure out who I was for as long as I can remember. I just woke up one day, not knowing anything about myself- all I knew was that I was good with weapons, hated anything girly, hated animal-abuse, and knew every swear word in the book.

The only clue of how I caught amnesia was hidden under my bangs… and though I didn't know how it happened, I didn't feel like sharing it with anyone just yet. _At least someone's finally helping me. _I thought, referring to Blu. _Unlike all those dick-heads back in that ghetto- lousy, horny, good-for-nothing, perverted fucks._

Ziggy came back, empty-handed. "I'm sorry, but we don't have anything on-file about you," he said apologetically to me. Out of the other two, he seemed like the only helpful one. "You could try the hospital, they may know something we don't. I'm really sorry,"

"It's okay, you're not the first one to be clueless," I replied, then Blu and I left. "Well, that was a shit-waste of time."

"I'd bet Robin would've been a better help," Blu sneered. "I wonder where he is, anyway? It's not like him to be missing work, unless he's after some criminal douche,"

"All I know is, if we don't find a clue soon, I'm gonna blow my stack!"

Blu scoffed. "You and me both,"

"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear, did you girls say you needed help?" came a voice, and we turned around, seeing a guy wearing all-black, having a sword at his side… along with wolf-ears on his head… and a tail… what the hell?

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You may call me 'Ben'," the stranger smiled, showing that he also had fangs. Charming.

"Yeah, but his real name's Fangface II." Blu told me.

I had to let out a laugh, especially from the look 'Ben' gave Blu. "Seriously, call me 'Ben'." he said firmly. "If you guys need help, I could assist you. My knights and I know all the history of this entire continent, from its discovery to what's going on today."

Blu and I looked at each other, then shrugged.

It was worth a shot.

XxXxXxXxX

**Blu's POV (of course)**

Fangface II's (or 'Ben's') first declaration of our quest was to find a few others to assist us. "You never know how much help you'll need when searching for something, even an identity." he told us when we questioned his method. "Round up whoever you trust, and meet me on Camelot Ave. tonight."

"Camelot Ave.?" Sai asked me as we began walking.

"It's a road that leads to the castle of the Knights of the Round Table," I explained to her. "Every knight gathers there every night. …Ha! Get it? Knight, night?"

She gave me a look. "I think your _brain_ went 'knight-night',"

I shrugged. I've never used a pun before, so I couldn't help using one. …Note to self: avoid puns for the rest of life, and after. "Meh, lets just go round up a few people,"

"Alright… who do you know that we can trust?"

"Well, there's Wolf, as you've already noticed he's pretty trustworthy. I know the 12 Huntresses, a couple of them could help. My cousins, Red and Goldilocks, could help out- they're major-league snots, but I still consider them trustworthy. Lena can spot an enemy for miles, so we could use her, too. Pedro and Tink have been around for ages, so they'll be quite useful. Robin isn't here… and then there's Pin, he's basically the only one I'd trust with my life- next to Wolf, I mean."

Sai rubbed her chin, pondering. "Quite a few people… But if it'll help me find out my identity and get me out of this sissified shit-hole, I won't complain… much."

"Then lets go," We walked off, and I decided we should stop by Pin's place first. Knowing Pin, nothing would keep him from helping someone.

We arrived at his house half an hour later… seeing that he had company.

Something tells me this situation is going to have an awkward turn.

XxXxXxXxX

**Rosie's POV**

My aunt kept brushing my hair, tugging it this way and that, trying to find a suitable style. I truly wished that she wouldn't fuss so much- it was annoying enough she was having me get married, just to inherit our parent's fortune. _She can have the money, _I thought bitterly. _Just as long as I don't have to marry… and be separated from Posie._

My sister and I have been close since birth, and became closer after our parents had died. We shared everything- secrets, regrets, favorite foods, clothes, books, movies, and the magic bauble our parents left to us: the one thing our aunt didn't know about, which was worth more than any fortune mother and father ever had. …One reason why we kept it secret from her, keeping it hidden in Posie's knapsack.

We normally used it to pull jokes that would make our aunt's hair turn gray… but also in emergencies. I believe that's the only reason mother and father left it for us, to get us out of dreadful situations- like this one.

"You'll absolutely LOVE the man I've found for you, Rosietta!" Aunt Lilliesworth was babbling as she messed with my hair. "He's strong, charming, obedient, hansom…"

I wasn't paying attention. _I can't wait to use the bauble, and get out of this mess! _I was telling myself. The only regret I'd have after we've completed our plan was missing the look on our aunt's face once we've pulled it off!

"And he's well-dressed, has clever hunting skills, graduated High School at the top of his class, and… Goodness, look at the time!" She pulled me out of my seat, pulling me out of the room. "Come along, dear, we'll finish your hair in the limo. POSENTA, COME!"

My sister followed, walking at my side. "You won't believe who I just saw-" she tried to tell me, but our aunt had already shoved us into the limo and began fussing over my hair again.

"Posenta, no one cares about whatever you saw. There's always some vile thing running amuck in this land," My aunt chided.

_I care… _I thought, glowering at our aunt. I looked at Posie, and we both shared the same thought: As soon as we get out of the car, we're out of here!

We pulled up at a house on the outside of town, seeing a young man about 20-ish trimming some bushes, wearing a red corduroy shirt with blue jeans. He had black hair and brown eyes, a muscular frame… and for once our aunt was right. He was quite hansom. "Excuse me, young man, but would you happen to be Pin Geppetto?"

"Yes… might I ask who you are?" The young man, Pin, replied.

"I am Countess Fiona Lilliesworth, and these are my nieces, Rosietta and Posenta." she motioned us to walk up. "We've come to your home on an important business…"

"Now?" Posie asked me, slipping out the bauble.

"N-" I began, but was interrupted.

"Hey, Pin, who's the regal senior citizen and the Gemini girls?"

We turned around, seeing a girl with blue eyes, blonde hair, wearing a black shirt and jeans, and fair skin. Next to her stood a girl with caramel-colored skin, turquoise eyes, long black hair tied in a braid while the bangs covered her left eye, with Siamese twin-swords on her back. I didn't know much about the second girl, but the first girl made both Posie and I gasp.

"Annabelle!" We both cried out.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Hmm… things are coming a little more clear… or foggier. Depends on how you see it :p

Please review. No flames or I'll send the Plague Sisters to pull a prank on YOU!


	14. Chapter 14: Tale of Annabelle

Good grief, guys! Sorry for the long wait (for the umpteenth time this year) but I've been busy. With what, I cannot list, otherwise it would take up half this story. Well, enjoy this next chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks For Being So Patient. (throws cookies to all of yous)**

**Starspring: **I always found the little-mermaid to be over-dramatic :p …How could you forget Pin? Lol jk, I nearly forgot him too. …You will find out who Annabelle is later. …I want a bauble too…

**Fangface the Second: **Might I suggest, "Goofs in Wizardry"? …I like your idea, it might fit well.

**Scoobycool9: **To answer your questions: …Possibly. …Blu. …No. …He finds his other name humiliating (in this story). Thank you for taking breaths- last reviewer who didn't needed a lung-transplant and sued the socks off me :p

XxXxXxXxX

I was completely confused at the moment, and there were three reasons why:

1) There were two twin girls standing in Pin's yard, whom none of us met before.

2) Said twins just called me "Annabelle"

And 3) The old woman the twins were with was holding a set of papers, one of them having the word "Betrothing" written across the top.

"Uh, were we interrupting something?" Sai asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You most certainly were!" The old woman snapped, sticking her nose in the air.

Oh, great. A withered, snooty, stuck-up bitch.

"Who's Annabelle?" I asked the twins, ignoring the glare the crone was giving me and Sai.

"You are! …Don't you remember?" One of the twins asked.

"I suggest we get back to business, girls-" The old hag was saying with an icy glance.

"Excuse me!" Pin called, catching everyone's attention. "Before anyone says anything else… might I ask what the Grimm is going on here?" he looked at the old woman. "Why are you guys here," he looked at Sai. "Who are you, and…" he looked at the twins. "Who's Annabelle?"

"This is Sai," I said first in introduction. "I'm helping her with a quest, and we came here to see if you'd be willing to join us." I then turned to the twins. "So, you gonna explain why you called me 'Annabelle'?"

"She was a cousin of ours… You look like her." The other twin replied.

"So, Pin-boy, you gonna join our quest or what?" Sai asked Pin.

"I'm afraid that may not be possible," The snooty old hag said sternly, before Pin could get a word in. She then showed us the papers in full-view. "If you will look here, he has been betrothed to my niece, Rosietta, by order of the Thorn Dynasty."

Betrothed?

I heard Pin give a gasp, and I turned to the old woman. "What do you MEAN he's been 'betrothed'?" I demanded. "Who are you?"

The woman gave me a stern glance. "I, my dear, am Madame Lilliesworth… and I do not believe it is your business to interfere with this young man's affairs." she said, haughtily.

I sneered. "FYI, it IS my business, because HE is my BOYFRIEND!"

…Confession time. I've never really declared Pin my 'boyfriend' before. Friend, yes. Boy… on rare occasions. But boyfriend? Not quite. I don't know what got into me, but it had something to do with imagining Pin being married to a pair of girls I've never met, having a snobby hag as an in-law, and possibly never seeing him again. …Getting the words out gave me quite an odd feeling, I'll admit.

"Oh, too bad, he's taken! Well, can't say we didn't try-" One of the twins was saying, turning to leave, but her aunt pulled her back.

"Not so fast!" This 'Lilliesworth' woman snapped, turning to me. "I'm sorry, 'miss', but we've already written up the declaration, and have already purchased a property here in these woods in which to build their estate. We've put in too much effort to just end it all because you… 'called dibs' on this boy."

"But Pin never agreed to this!" I snapped back, turning to Pin. "You never signed a contract to wed some girl you've never met, have you?"

Pin blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um… it's a funny story…" he said, sheepishly.

What. The. Fucking. GRIMM?

"Come again?" I demanded.

Pin sighed. "When I was a kid, maybe seven or eight, my father took me to the Thorn Estate to meet Rosietta and Posenta. They then brought up how someday I'd be married to one of the twins, after seeing how we were getting along so well…" he began. "But I thought they were just kidding around back then! I didn't know it was serious! …Until last week, when I was helping my dad at his shop, and found the contract… and it had my signature on it."

I think my heart just stopped. Or every capillary in my body burst. …It was hard to tell which happened first.

Pin then turned to Lilliesworth. "I'm sorry, Miss Lilliesworth, but I didn't sincerely agree to this."

"I'm afraid it's too late, Pinocchio." Mrs. Lilliesworth sneered. "Your name is on the contract, and therefore-"

"Ah, yes, the contract… may I see it?"

"Erm… yes…" the hag handed over the papers.

Pin looked over them, rubbing his chin, then smirked. "I believe there's a flaw." he pointed at a paragraph. "As you've stated here, 'If the boy hasn't already given himself to another girl by the deadline, the ceremony shall take place on December 19th of his 21st year'. …I'm afraid that I've already given my heart to Blu, madame."

Leave it to Pin to spot a loop-hole.

"Given meaning marriage," The crone huffed.

"'Given' meaning I have given myself to her, and I shall not be taken away," Pin said, sharply.

"Oh, what did you do? Propose?"

"Yes."

This took the hag by surprise, and I didn't have the nerve to say how I didn't say 'yes'. "Well… where is her ring, then? If you proposed, you should have a ring!"

I felt something slip around my fingers. "She's wearing it right here," Sai scoffed, holding up my hand, where I now noticed she put one of her rings on my fingers.

I owe her.

The old crone started to grow red, and the twins silently giggled. "Fine. …BUT, the deadline for your betroth is still a long ways away," she said calmly, a cruel smile spreading on her lips. "And I have a feeling your engagement won't last long- especially if you chose a girl like her…" She then walked to the limo. "Come along, girls!"

"Could we stay, Auntie? Perhaps we could persuade Pin," One of the twins suggested.

The hag sighed bitterly. "Just until five o'clock, Rosietta… and KEEP YOUR SISTER IN LINE." With that, she drove off.

"Finally! I thought we'd never get away from her," the other twin, Posenta, I guess, scoffed.

"C'mon, lets ditch her, before she changes her mind." The other twin, Rosietta, suggested. "Her common sense tends to kick in once she blows off some steam…"

"Before you guys go anywhere, and before I chop off your heads if I have to ask this again, could you PLEASE explain more about why you mistook me for this 'Annabelle' cousin of yours?" I demanded.

"I suppose," Rosie said with a shrug.

"Especially since you helped us get out of that engagement," Posie added.

Pin invited us into his house, where we could talk in private. "Alright. Explain," I demanded.

"Annabelle was our favorite cousin… almost like a sister to us," Rosie explained. "She looked just like you, except she never wore pants- only skirts. That's the one thing that made us realize you really weren't her."

"She was a master at pulling tricks on people," Posie added. "We used to team up with her to pull pranks on everyone, leaving them baffled every time. She never left a trace, though her trademark clue was always having ashes lying on the ground. Everyone who was pranked by her were known to be 'Ash Attacked', and Annabelle was never suspected. She was an expert to the end."

Rosie hung her head low. "Of course, 'the end' is where her games ended. With each prank she pulled, each stunt got darker. Soon, she was blaming everyone- even Posie and I- for her mischievous deeds. She even went as far as killing our aunt's dog, Scruffles!"

Posie crossed her arms. "In my opinion, the dog deserved it. Auntie trained it well to run up and snap at me every time we visited."

"One day, she decided to pull a prank that would involve our aunt's car driving into the pond and drowning her. Now, Posie and I both hate our aunt, but we're not heartless enough to see her die, so we had to stop her! …Though, we didn't have to…"

"What happened?" Pin asked.

"Annabelle was so busy working on taking out the brakes of the car and locking the steering, that she didn't realize she took the clutch out of 'parking' and the car rolled into the pond. She managed to get out, but her skirt got caught in the door, and she drowned." Posie answered.

"I would've just taken off the skirt and swam to shore," Sai scoffed, then became thoughtful. "All the while wonder what the hell I was doing in a skirt in the first place…"

"So, if she's dead, why did you mistake ME for her?" I asked.

"Well… there was a rumor going around that Annabelle's spirit still roams, causing trouble." Rosie said quietly.

"Yeah. The servant-talk was that she wasn't allowed in Heaven, yet was too evil for hell." Posie added.

"Quite a ghost-story," Sai commented.

Pin and I looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. "Anyone care to have a séance?" I asked. "I'd like to meet your cousin… and kick her ass for making me lose my job."

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: And that's ONE part of the mystery down! Next chapter… we head to Camelot!

Please review. Annabelle haunts flamers so BEWARE!


	15. Chapter 15: Knights of the Round Table

Well… here's a new chapter. Sorry for the wait, once again!

**Reviewer and Bunny Thanks**

**Kbomb234: **(I'll have to return that tombstone then, lol). …Glad I got Sai's personality right! :D …Yeah, everything is almost serious in fairytale land, Pin. …Blu may take your advice (maybe) though she has a lot to take in at the moment :p

**Scoobycool9: **Yes, one mystery down, two to go. …Sai is actually a character created by Kbomb234, so not really. …Yes, I am working on part two, and it'll be up by Halloween ;) …And no.

**Starspring: **Very, very, very true, though you never know- they may just pull something ;) …Agreed. …Possibly, of course I always throw in a twist *insert mischievous chuckle here*. …Yes, many questions, and possibly many more.

XxXxXxXxX

Pin, Rosie, Posie, Sai and I walked down the road toward Camelot. Along the way Pin and I explained about how I lost my job and our theory that 'Annabelle' is the poltergeist trying to ruin my life. "That wouldn't surprise me," Sai scoffed once we were finished. "If I had a twin I could pin crimes on, I'd pull stunts like that too." she then rubbed her chin. "…Then again, I might just have a twin…"

"What do you mean?" Pin asked.

"I told you, Sai has amnesia, and needs help finding out who she really is," I told him.

"Do you have any clues?" Posie asked Sai.

"The only ones I have is how much I like black, violence, and can kick someone's ass if they give me lip," Sai replied.

"I meant, did you have anything that could give you a hint?"

Before Sai could reply, a large gust of wind blew by, making our hair blow back… and that's when we saw it.

Having been hidden under Sai's bang, scraped across her right eye was a caramel-toned scar, the only thing that flawed her beauty. Rosie gave a small gasp, while Posie only stared. "Cool! How'd you get that scar?" she asked, awed.

Sai combed her bang over her scar, sneering. "That, my dear bitch, is what I'm trying to find out." she answered, coldly. "It's basically my only 'clue' on who I really am, and it's a reminder on why I'm searching so damn hard for my identity: Someone probably has it out for me."

Posie cringed. "Oh… sorry."

"Whatever."

We continued walking, and not to my surprise Wolf happened to come out of the forest, with Lox-no shock there- at his side. "Hi Blu, hey pin, hi Sai… who are your friends?" he asked.

"Their names are Rosie and Posie. We're just helping them get a break from their aunt," I replied as he and his she-wolf girlfriend continued following us. "So, what have you been up to?"

Wolf smirked. "Well, for one thing, I believe I figured out the riddle,"

"Riddle? What riddle?" Pin asked.

"The riddle that can open my parent's security box," I told him, wondering how much he was paying attention whenever I was telling him something. Men.

"It said it would 'empty at the full', right?" Wolf continued. "I figure 'full' must mean the full moon, and there's one tonight!"

I thought about it, and it made some sense… why didn't I figure it out before? "Alright, we'll check it out. Right now, though, we've got to meet your brother at Camelot,"

"Wolf has a brother?" Sai asked.

"Well, half-brother," Wolf explained. "You see, my father was a werewolf, only he had two mates: one wolf, and one human… though, the human one was actually a rape-victim… Anyway, I met him three years ago. He's really nice, I'm sure you'll like him."

"That would be a rare thing for me. Most men don't exactly make it on my 'do not kill' list,"

"You have quite the aggressive nature, don't you?" Rosie asked, rhetorically.

XxXxXxXxX

We made it to Camelot in a matter of minutes.

Alright, some of you are probably asking yourselves, "Why do these people WALK everywhere? Why don't they just drive?" Well, my good layman, it's because purchasing a car in Fairytale Land is a rare thing for those of us who DON'T come from royalty or classy families. Most everyone either lives in an apartment or small house, all of which are located either in or near the city, whereas the castles and mansions are located clear out in the country (not many stuck up rich people want 'commoners' for neighbors), so there's not much of a reason to drive. Another reason is that 95 percent of Fairytale Land is made up of woods, swamps, mountains, and valleys, where there aren't many roads suitable for vehicles. …Plus, gas-prices suck.

Fangface II, aka 'Ben', stood waiting for us outside Camelot… along with a face I wasn't expecting to see…

"Ah, Blu. We meet again," Puss said, tipping his hat.

"Puss? What are you doing here? I thought you decided to settle down," Wolf responded first, keeping me from punting the feline over the castle.

Puss rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… I was settled down… until my mate found out I had 'other' felines in my life… What can I say? I just have too much charm,"

"You're a player with paws," Pin scoffed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Word around the alley-cats is that you have another quest on your hands- two, actually- and I assumed you would like my assistance," Puss replied.

_Assume, as in you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. _I thought, sneering.

"I figured Puss could help lighten your load and help you with one of your quests," Ben said, shrugging.

"No thanks," I retorted, giving Puss a dark glare. "So, are we going to go into Camelot or what?"

"Oh, right. Sure… Though, you may want to brace yourselves…" The wolf-eared knight then began to open the door.

"Why?" Pin asked.

As soon as the door opened, we were greeted by music… and saw several knights dancing!

"_We're knights of the round table!" _they sang. _"We dance whenever we're able! We do routines and chorus scenes with footwork impeccable! We dine well here in Camelot, we eat ham and jam and spam-a-lot!"_

We only watched as the knights danced on the tables, kicking off a few dishes and foods, doing the can-can. What the hell was going on?

"_We're knights of the round table! Our shows, are for-mid-able! Though many times we're given rhymes that are quite un-sing-able! We're opera mad in Camelot, we sing from the diaphragm a loooooottttt!"_

I arched an eyebrow, watching them all dance, once accidentally knocked a servant over, while another was banging a pair of spoons on some knights' helmets as if playing drums (accidentally bonking a servant on the head). I looked down, seeing through a steel grate that a prisoner, chained in the dungeon, was clapping along to the whole thing. …Weird.

"_In war we're tough and able!" _A group of knights danced by… one of them stepped on Puss' tail, which was basically the only part of their number I actually liked. _"Quite in-de-fa-tigable! Between our quests, we sequin vests, and impersonate Clark Gable! It's a busy life in Camelot-"_

A spotlight then shined upon a short knight. _"I have to push the pram a loooootttt!" _he sang in a very deep voice.

The knights then danced around, ending up in the middle of the room, some of them making a pyramid-formation, and the music finally stopped. …Pin and Wolf were the only ones clapping.

"Camelot… seems like quite a silly place," Rosie commented.

"Yeah, Ben. What the hell was THAT all about?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Meh, they lost a bet," he replied. "Now, shall we get down to business?"

We followed Ben up a flight of stairs, bracing ourselves for another unexpected dance-number.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Funny story. When I first wrote in 'Camelot' in this story, my first thought was that skit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" about the Knights of the Round Table, so I had an urge to throw the song in. …Expect more randomness from this point on.

Please review. No flames unless you're making s'mores (those, I'll accept)


	16. Chapter 16: The Werehuman

AUGH! I can't BELIEVE I've gone THIS long without updating! And it's all because I got into the habit of writing several different stories all at once! Ni!

(I have a problem :P)

**Reviewer Call 9-1-1 and report a case of Write-a-holicism**

**Elizabeth: **I did hear about that new Puss in Boots movie! And I want to see it. Badly. :p …Yep, even when you've never seen the movie you'd know it's Python's work (that's what's so great about it ^^) …Sometimes monarchs arrange marriages way too early, I've seen it happen in a lot of books and movies (I think they take planning ahead way too seriously). …Nope, no Percy Jackson refs in that chapter! …Gotta love mischievous twins, though despise the puns.

**Starspring: **I can never write a story about Blu without including Wolf, and yeah I almost forgot the riddle too (only a bad writer would forget something that important). …Fairytale Land is sorta based off my old hometown- small, full of creeps, and never missed when you move away. …When it comes to my stories, manly men tend to get on the 'weird' side, lol. Monkey!

**Scoobycool9: **I loved that scene so I had to throw it in ^^ and Ben is Wolf's brother. …So glad you're still enjoying this! …As for my writing-pattern, when I write multiple stories I tend to make a schedule so not to fall behind (save for this story).

**Fangface the Second: **Thanks, and good luck with your story! :D

XxXxXxXxX

The round table was exactly the way you'd picture it in the stories: round… and large enough to take up most of the room. Ben sat at the far side of it, in front of a large window that gave a clear view of Camelot, with Wolf sitting right next to him and- of course- Lox was at his side. The rest of us sat wherever we wanted, the twins sitting clear on the other side, Puss right next to them- the feline was wise to stay away from me.

"So, what's your plan for the quest?" Sai asked Ben, leaning back in her seat.

"Well, first, I'd like to know how you came to Fairytale Land," Ben replied.

"I walked here, what did you think?"

Ah, sarcasm… a second-language known by all, guaranteed to annoy anyone.

"The Cheshire-cat from Underland led her here- the immigrating disappearing hairball…" I told Ben. "Said something about a map,"

"Yeah, and that's the only thing I got out of him before he dumped me with the Blue Girl Group," Sai responded, nodding toward me.

"Hey, baby-sitting someone with jingle-bells hanging from their ear-lobes ain't my idea of a good time either, girl."

"Do you know what the Cheshire Cat was talking about, by any chance?" Pin asked, keeping me and Sai from swapping a few choice words.

"I'm afraid not," Ben replied. "The only way we could help Sai is by finding someone who knew her, and-"

"Yipe!" Lox yelped, dropping to the floor, trembling and fidgeting.

"What's wrong?" Rosie and Posie both gasped in unison.

"I-I don't know! Lox, are you-" Wolf responded, lying a paw on Lox's shoulder, but she snapped at him, forcing him to back away.

That's when I saw possibly the umpteenth strangest thing ever to happen in Fairytale Land.

Lox sat under the light of the full moon, and her fur began to recede into her skin, while her muscles shifted and her joints rearranged themselves. _What is this, some sort of wolf-exorcism? _I thought, wanting to gag. Her snout then shrank back, her nose taking a new shape, her ears sinking into her head_, _as her paws and feet became longer, her tail disappearing…

Soon, a black-blonde haired, hazel-eyed, well-figured woman sat in the middle of the room… and I was suddenly wishing that Wolf had talked Lox into wearing clothes because all the guys were staring. Ben acted first, taking off a cape he wore and draping it around her. "Huh, I've never met a were-human before." he said.

"A were-_what_?" Sai asked, arching an eyebrow.

"They're like werewolves, only rather than changing into a wolf at a full moon, they change from wolves to humans."

"Alright, I'm officially weirded out," Posie commented.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," I retorted.

Wolf walked closer to Lox. "Lox… why didn't you tell us what you were before?" he asked.

Lox only let out a couple short breaths, unable to speak. "The transformation takes a lot out of her species. Plus, since they're more used to being wolves, she probably doesn't know how to speak," Ben told Wolf.

"I'm not retarted, jou idiot," Lox snapped… her voice sounding German. "I know how to talk! Sheesh, are ALL volfids this simple-minded?"

Ben sneered. "Well excuse ME-"

I didn't catch the rest of the sentence, because my eyes fell upon the security box. Wolf had set it on the floor when tending to Lox, and by the light of the moon the lid appeared. "About time," I said, kneeling down and lifting the lid.

"What's in it?" Pin asked, at my side.

We all looked in, and from that moment on I had a feeling fate loved playing games with me.

Inside the box, was a map.

XxXxXxXxX

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Rancorous sat in his tent, tending to the wounds Sai had given to him, while the rest of the circus-hands were busy tending to the other wild creatures… the creatures that were excessively rare, their species close to extinction.

And one was still loose.

Just then, his assistant walked in. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"Searching everywhere for Lox, what do you think?" his assistant replied with a sneer. "It appears she's still with that wolfian,"

"Damn it! That mongrel keeps- wait, did you say 'wolfian'?"

"Yeah, I just saw him, four girls, a cat, and a guy in black enter Camelot with a wolfid," The assistant shook his head. "It's going to be hard getting her back with them around,"

"Perhaps not… I believe this 'unfortunate' event seems to have a shred of fortune for our little collection," Rancorous opened his drawer, pulling out a gun with a few darts in it. "We'll wait until they're outside Camelot, and take them out then,"

"Are you sure? I mean, two of them are half-werewolf!"

"Half, but not whole. If we had a full-bred werewolf to deal with, THEN we could worry. Wolfids and wolfians aren't that strong…"

"But you said that the wolfian-"

"I'll handle it! …Now, get back to your job, unless you want to share a cage with the triple-horned snorkhack!"

Sneering, the assistant slithered out of the tent, one of his tentacles shaking behind him. Rancorous didn't notice, too busy loading the gun in his hand, smirking at the thought of having the greatest collection of creatures in all the land.

And the only way to complete it was taking out that Blu girl and her little friends.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: So, Rancorous is still out for them, and now there's a map. …WHAT NEXT?

Please review. Flames are for… 'L', '7'… (makes 'W' with fingers) Weeeeenies!


	17. Chapter 17: MORE RIDDLES?

Great leaping horny toads! Sorry about the lack of updates, but my laptop is STILL suffering from a virus-infection. (I knew letting it play out in the rain too long would be unwise, but did it listen? NOOOO! Rebellious little computer just stayed out in the storm 'til the sun came back out, then BAM! Blue-screen! …Hope it learned its lesson)

Anyway, at long last, here's a new chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth:**0.o really? Which line was it? …Like I said before, your idea inspired me ^-^ …German accents FTW! …I tend to be literal sometimes. …Many villains tend to be stupid. :P

**Starspring:**Sorry for all the werewolf-related creatures, my imagination tends to lead to confusion like that sometimes :P …Where the map leads, we may never know until later. …As for the aunt, well… 9.9

**Scoobycool9:**Very true. …I hate all animal abusers, so you can be sure Rancorous' fate will be quite graphic. …Yeah, just a little, isn't he? XD

XxXxXxXxX

At first I thought finding the map would be a sign that life was taking it easy on me.

I was dead-wrong, once again.

For one thing, THE WHOLE THING WAS MADE UP OF RIDDLES!

This is how it went:

"_Your journey shall begin where stories end… Find the home were 25 feet fit into one shoe…On the latter find the dock that lives inside a grandfather…When 12 bells ring at night, go where the moon is afraid to travel… Find what can unlock the heart… Head to the island where the dead are alive, and only your heart can lead you then."_

It made absolutely NO SENSE!

"Damn, girl, your parents must've loved messing with you," Sai commented.

"Wolf, PLEASE tell me you understood all that," I sighed, turning to Wolf.

…Who was still staring at Lox.

"WOLF!"

"Huh? What? Oh! …Nope, sorry." Wolf replied, still staring.

Godmother…

"We could help," Posie said, studying the map. "It says your journey will begin where stories end, right? That would be Fairytale Land!"

"Right! Stories begin, AND end here!" Rosie replied.

"I think I know how to solve the shoe problem, too." Pin added. "Remember that Nursery Rhyme about the old lady who lived in a shoe?"

It was becoming clear now. "Yeah, I remember! The widow there had 12 kids- one of them who had a peg-leg- making it all 25 feet." I replied, recalling the story.

"Yeah, but that place has been abandoned ever since all the kids went off to college," Puss pointed out. "How do we know the next clue could be there?"

"No harm in searchin', is there?" Lox replied, shrugging.

"Then it's settled. We gather the others, and continue our quest," Pin declared.

"Oh, this is so exciting! Going on a real quest, and-" Rosie began, cheerfully.

"Whoa, who says YOU two are coming?" Sai scoffed. "Don't you have a bitchy aunt to get home to?"

Posie slapped her forehead. "Godmother curse it! I almost forgot about the old hag!" she snapped. "C'mon, we'd better get going on this quest now, before she figures out we ditched her!"

"Please might we join?" Rosie asked me. "We really HAVE to get away from her… especially if she's scheming to break up your and Pin's engagement, Blu!"

"What engagement?" I scoffed.

Everyone stared. "Um… the one you brought up when my aunt told you about the betrothal?" Posie replied, sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "I was lying, you jackass. I only said that so your stuck-up aunt wouldn't force Pin into it." I then stood up, walking to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some packing to do."

Then I left the room.

XxXxXxXxX

**Pin's POV**

I could hear my heart shattering. _She__was__lying?_ I thought, appalled. I ran out the door after her. "Blu, hold it! What do you MEAN you were lying?" I demanded.

"It means I wasn't telling the truth," Blu replied, her usual attitude showing.

"But… Why? I-I thought you actually wanted to-"

"To what? Marry a guy who didn't tell me he was betrothed, especially before letting me make love to him, leaving me to figure it out on my own? Is THAT why you proposed to me? To get out of it?"

"No, Blu, listen! I-I told you, I forgot about it until-"

"Until you realized you needed a way out of it!"

"No! Blu, I'm telling you, the only reason I'd use a proposal to get out of it is because I really love you- no, that wasn't my reason! I-"

"Save it. We'll talk about it AFTER this fucking quest is over with. Until then, I suggest you start thinking about the impact situations might leave on your friends BEFORE you decide to lay low,"

And she turned her back on me.

I sighed, turning to leave…

Seeing Wolf glowering daggers at me. Again.

"I'm going to try to make things right," I told him firmly, before he could snap.

"You'd better," came his bitter reply, and he shoved past me.

"Fuck, you really need to work on your people-skills, don't you Pin-Head?" Sai commented, approaching me. "You're lucky she didn't tear your ass apart. If I were her, you'd be dead where you stand right now,"

"Thank you," I replied, sarcastically. "How's the identity crisis going?"

…Before I knew it, I was holding my bruised groin, on my knees, while Sai stormed off angrily.

Godmother, are ALL girls this temperamental?

XxXxXxXxX

**Wolf's POV**

I swore to God that if Pin did anything to hurt Blu, I'd kill him.

She wasn't crying, wasn't screaming at him, and wasn't killing anyone… which worried me, because she would always do that when she was pissed. Her regular attitude and silence was almost disturbing, filling me with concern as I followed her out of Camelot.

"Jou follow dat girl efery-vhere, don't jou?"

I turned around, seeing that Lox- now wearing a T-shirt and pair of shorts- was following me. Even in her human-form, she's a shadow to me! "Yeah, just like how you always follow me," I retorted.

She shrugged, walking beside me. "I only follow the people I can trust, und jou are quite trust-vorthy, especially ze vay jou 'andled Rancorous. For zat, I am eternally grateful,"

"Then why do you keep snuggling up to me?"

"Eh, I find jou cute too," She smiled innocently.

"Well, it'll be hard finding you a place to stay, since the wolves don't allow many humans in the territory- and I doubt they'll believe me when I tell them you used to be a wolf."

Another shrug. "Eh, only for the next two nights. Once the moon reaches its next quarter, I go back to a volf,"

"Ah. …So, you up for this quest, or do you want to join?"

"Volf, jou safed me from a cruel, ruthless fox. I shall follow jou 'til the end of time, until my debt has been fulfilled."

_That__long?__Honestly?_I thought, giving a mental groan and hoping her debt would be fulfilled soon. _This__is__going__to__be__a__loooooooong__trip._

XxXxXxXxX

**Blu's POV (again)**

_Two days later…_

We met up with the others by the Poison Apple. Red and Goldie showed up, obviously wanting to do something with their spare time… or just be around Pin, the way they were making eyes at him. Godmother. "So, treasure-hunt, huh?" Red asked me. "My parents filled me in how you scared the shit out of them after breaking down the door,"

"I'm sorry I didn't scare them to death," I retorted. "Where's Robin?"

"Out of town. He didn't say where he was going, though. I think he's meeting up with the Pent Towers people or something,"

I sighed. I was hoping Robin would have joined- being the only cousin I'd be able to stand, at least. "So, where are we going?" Goldie asked as we loaded bags into a jeep Snow White lent to us.

"Heel Hall, the old Boot Manor," Pin replied.

"THAT place? Yeesh, I heard it still reeks of athlete's foot. …Can't we skip it?" Red whined.

"Hey, you volunteered to come. Either you stick to the route, or stay the fuck out of it," Sai retorted.

Red scowled. "And who are you? Some Arabian bodyguard?"

"I'm Sai, and if I were you I'd watch it, unless you want my swords stuck between that cleavage you're showing off, Miss Riding Whore,"

I could read Red's face completely: _Oh,__great.__Another__Blu._

Having Sai around was going to be quite a treat.

Once the jeep was loaded, we took off down the road, driving through the woods until we came to a giant steel-toed work-boot. It's windows were cracked, its roof was starting to give out, and it needed to be relaced. We walked to the front door, seeing that it was boarded up.

"Allow me," I said, then kicked the door down.

"Kicking doors open must be your specialty," Sai commented.

"You know it," With that, we walked in. "Everyone, start searching for anything that could relate to the next clue…"

"Uh… vould THAT fit?" Lox gasped, pointing up the stairs.

…Just in time for a flying skeleton to shoot right for us!

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: I know. I don't update for days, then once you think it's all going well, I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger! …One way how we authors mess with our readers ^-^

Please review. No flames or a flying bag of bones will be thrown at you next.


	18. Chapter 18: Black Lake Legend

_Oh, happy days… When Jesus walked… When He heard my prayer… and cured my laptop!_

In other words, I'm back in business, praise God! :D

And here's the riddle, so no one forgets (me included):

"_Your journey shall begin where stories end… Find the home were 25 feet fit into one shoe…On the latter find the dock that lives inside a grandfather…When 12 bells ring at night, go where the moon is afraid to travel… Find what can unlock the heart… Head to the island where the dead are alive, and only your heart can lead you then."_

Have fun trying to solve it!

**Reviewer Thanks For Standing By**

**Elizabeth: **O.O IT'S A SIGN! Of what, I'm not sure, but still! …Yes. …You're good, almost solved the whole thing! We shall see how right you are in the end. …Can I get a pity-cake too, please? I need one. …Stalkers. They're everywhere. …What? Dead people can't fly, is that what you're trying to tell me? (rofl jk)

**Fangface the Second: **Almost got the riddle solved, eh? We'll see if you have the right answers ;) …you didn't cheat off Elizabeth, did you? XD

**Starspring: **Yeah, I love to confuse people sometimes (it backfires when I confuse myself :P) …Pin will get a break soon, hopefully, otherwise his fan-girls will burn down my house. …Exactly! …You'll find out what's up with the skeleton (no pun intended) …Whoever lived in a shoe possibly had the lowest mortgage rates. …I'll try to decrease the cliffhangers.

**Scoobycool9: **Yeah, Pin has some work to do, doesn't he? …The skeleton isn't a clue (or IS it?) …Yes, Wolf has liked Blu for a very long time now, and there IS a love-triangle! (I sense drama afoot!)

XxXxXxXxX

The skeleton flew right at us, a foot away from clawing at our faces when something happened, that changed the course of the night forever.

*BLAURGGLLE!*

I puked.

Chunks of orange, yellow, and green upchuck spewed out of my mouth, covering the skeleton with vomit, making it freeze in its tracks, the smell of half-digested tacos, chicken, soda pop, vanilla pudding, and salmon filling the air. …Weird, I don't remember eating any of that.

"Oh, bloody hell!" A British voice shouted, and to our surprise it came from the skeleton. A small mouse crawled out of the left eye socket of the skull. He had brown fur, a tan mouth, and wore a small red suit jacket. "All that work for nothing. I don't set up these traps just to have some snotty girl throw up on them! Just look at this mess, disgusting!"

"Who are you?" Pin asked the rodent.

"I happen to be the life-long resident of this house, Hickory St. Dickory Dockson, and you set of heathens are trespassing on my property!"

"Wait, you mean you're Hickory Dickory Dock, from the old nursery rhyme?" Wolf questioned.

Hickory rolled his eyes, sighing irritably. "YES, I'm the mouse who spends each night climbing up that old grandfather clock over there. It had a gear loose that always made it chime at 1 every five minutes, and it took me forever to finally get it fixed!"

"The grandfather clock! That's it!" Pin exclaimed, heading toward the clock.

"Hey, don't touch that! If you damage that clock-"

Pin opened the clock. Inside there weren't just gears, but small furniture. "You live inside here, Mr. Dockson?"

"Yes, it took me weeks to move all my furniture up there, and I recommend you don't touch anything!"

I walked over to Pin, ignoring the taste of vomit inside my mouth, and looked inside. Small pictures hung on the wall, and there was a rug on the floor… though under the rug something caught my eye. "Hold on a sec…" I said, moving the rug. "There's something here…"

"I said don't touch anything!"

"Don't get your tail in a knot, pipsqueak! We're not going to steal anything!" Sai snapped. "Now, shut up before we have Puss eat you,"

"Keep in mind I haven't had dinner," Puss said threateningly.

Hickory shut his trap after that.

I slid the rug out of the clock. Inked into the floor was an inscription: _Black Lakes Cast No Reflection. _"What does that mean?" Pin asked.

"You mean that old sentence?" Hickory asked, climbing up into the clock. "Oh, it's been there for years. I've tried painting over it, carpeting it, or sanding it out, but it just keeps showing! I finally managed to cover it up with a rug, it just clashes with the décor."

"You've lived here for a while. Do you know what it means?" Red asked.

"Oh, yes, of course. This clock was made out of old wooden carvings the father of the house made. When he died, all his creations were torn apart and crafted into this clock, for the children had broken many of them. The floor right here came off an old music box the father made, which played a sad, harmonious tune whenever it was opened, the lid having this inscription carved into it. It was a warning."

"A warning for what?" Goldie asked.

"I was getting to that! (sigh) There was a lake just three miles west of here. During the day, it appeared to be just an ordinary giant puddle… but in the midnight hours, it turned black as ebony, so dark and forbidding that even the moon and stars wouldn't dare reflect upon its surface!"

"Bet no one took a moonlight swim there," Sai joked, rolling her eyes.

"They say the lake was cursed long ago," Hickory continued. "There was a channel that ran through it, and a ship sailed into it, ablazed with fire. At the front of the ship stood a pirate, with dark skin, and dark eyes, and dark hair… and a dark heart. …Blackbeard."

"Blackbeard?" Puss questioned. "He's just a legend!"

"So are all these fairytale folks, but they're up walking about, aren't they? As I was saying, Blackbeard went down with his ship in the lake, not before making his curse, claiming that every night at midnight, his ship shall rise, and anyone who dares to climb aboard will suffer the fate of being pulled under. …The man of this house had seen it happen before, and- knowing how stupidly daring his children were- warned them to never go near that lake, making them promise on his deathbed to heed his words. Then he died."

I looked at the others. "Sounds like we've just found our next clue." I said, looking at my watch. "Midnight is just a couple hours away. Lets go find that lake!"

"Are you daft?" Hickory shouted as we walked out. "You'll be drowned in that black abyss! Blackbeard was known to show no mercy! Godmother, are ALL you bloody humans insane?"

"You'd be surprised what we can live through," With that, we were out of the house.

0o0o0o0o0o0

We reached the lake in a matter of minutes. Just like Hickory said, it looked like an ordinary lake, with a channel running into it.

That is, until midnight.

We decided to make a small camp, starting a fire and getting something to eat. Even though I just puked my guts out, I was pretty hungry, cooking a hamburger and stacking cheese, pickles, Cheese Nips, lettuce, salami, mustard, hot sauce, pork rinds, and cherries on it.

Everyone looked at me, wide eyed. "That's… quite a sandwich you've made, Blu." Wolf commented.

"Jou must've been pretty hungry, eef jou are villing to eat ZAT!" Lox added.

I looked at my food. True, it was weird that I whipped up something crazy like this, but at the moment, I didn't give a damn, and began to stuff my face. "You goth a pwablem, deal wi'h ih," I retorted, my mouth full.

"Silver never succeeded in teaching you table manners, did he?" Red sneered.

"Why need table-manners? We're not at a table!" Sai scoffed.

"Man, our aunt would have a FIT if she saw us now," Posie laughed.

"God forbid she finds us," Rosie sighed, roasting a hotdog. "Do you think she's worried?"

"Worried? Nah. Angry beyond definition, calling the police, raving about how irresponsible we are, and threatening to lock us in separate rooms for all time? …Possibly." Posie took out a bauble just then, rubbing it. "If she does find us, though, she won't be able to get her hands on us."

"What is that?" Goldie asked.

"Our bauble? It's a gift our parents left for us before they died. It has powers beyond imagination, but will only work when both Posie and I use it together," Rosie answered. "You see… we're Faeries."

"Fairies? What a coincident, so is Wolf!" Puss said. "…Well, he has the powers of the Blue Fairy, at least-"

"Not 'fairy'. Faerie! F-A-E-R-I-E." Posie corrected.

"Similar to fairies, only without wings and wands. And every faerie has a special gift, like spreading pixie dust, or turning invisible, and other things." Rosie added. "Our special gift is making things hover, or appear out of nowhere, or transporting us somewhere… but only when we have our bauble and work together."

"Nifty. Anyone got some salt?" I asked, roasting a marshmallow now.

"Jeez, just when I thought you couldn't get any weirder," Red scoffed.

I shrugged it off, though deep down I made the promise that when Blackbeard's ship rises, Red will go on first.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Next chapter, we raid a pirate ship!

Please review. No flames or I'll throw you into a lake, with only a cinderblock for a life preserve.


	19. Chapter 19: Fun With Pirates

Well. Here's another chapter. And since most of you figured out what's up with Blu, I guess I can hide it no longer! …Unless I want to ^-^

"_Your journey shall begin where stories end… Find the home were 25 feet fit into one shoe…On the latter find the dock that lives inside a grandfather…When 12 bells ring at night, go where the moon is afraid to travel… Find what can unlock the heart… Head to the island where the dead are alive, and only your heart can lead you then."_

**Reviewer You Want The Truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!**

**Elizabeth: **Thank you for the pity cake, I really needed one today. I tend to throw in a few British characters, namely just because I love the accents (I like a lot of accents, you can tell). …I recall my dad having the history channel on and they talked about Blackbeard. I guess I tend to throw in legends as well, whether real or not ^-^' …Your guess might be correct, either that or Blu has weird tastes and ate something to make her upchuck. …Yep. Cool.

**Scoobycool9: **Amazing where clues lead ya, huh? And you got it right (raises sword) Time to take a ship!

**Starspring: **I'm as lost as you are, and I wrote the thing! 0_o …Yep, even rodents tend to be finicky. …Hey, plain cheeseburgers need to be jazzed up a bit once in a while. …And you are pretty darn sharp ;)

XxXxXxXxX

I once read somewhere that when a mother rhino gives birth, the other female rhinos hang around her, to keep her and the baby protected from predators due to the fact that the mother is in a weakened state after labor.

Why am I bringing this up? You'll find out later.

I didn't know how much time had gone by until there was the sound of thunder, and dark clouds rolled in above the lake. One flash of lightening later, the lake turned into a giant whirlpool, changing black as a ship started to rise out of the cyclone. The thunder roared and wind howled, though the clouds had disappeared, the sky clear.

The water was blacker than ebony, so dark that you could confuse it with oil. I slowly walked over, looking into it, and what did I see?

Nothing.

No reflections, no ripples… just still, black water.

I looked around. Everything else was lightened by the moon, all except the lake.

_So THAT'S what the riddle meant! _I figured out, then turned to the others. "Well? Shall we board the ship?" I asked, rhetorically.

"How? There's no plank, and I doubt that water is safe to swim in," Red scoffed.

"We could get you on board," Posie said, holding up the bauble. "We can hover over the ship and onto the deck."

"Sounds simple enough-" Wolf began.

"Too simple," I interjected. "We ought to have a distraction, just in case there's anything on board, waiting to slit our throats. …Red, Goldie, you guys go first."

"What?" Goldie snapped. "Why can't YOU go first?"

"Or how about Sai? She can spare her life first," Red added.

"Wait, where IS Sai?" Lox asked, looking around.

We looked at a sleeping bag, where to my surprise Sai was trembling under. "Uh, Sai? Are you okay?" Pin asked.

"I'm fine. Just got a little cold…" Sai began to reply firmly. Thunder rumbled and she gasped, slipping deeper into the sleeping bag.

It didn't take me long to realize the chick had a fear of thunder, but I decided to help her save face. "Sai will have to be the lookout," I told Red and Goldie, taking their attention off of Sai. "Something might come out of the lake and lie in wait for us when we get back. Wolf, you and Puss stick with her, make sure nothing tries to pull a sneak-attack on us."

"Alright…" Puss replied, arching an eyebrow.

"C'mon, lets move." Pin ordered.

The twins rubbed their bauble, and a white mist enveloped us, making us float toward the ship. They sent Red and Goldie up first, and we waited a minute for the sound of attack. "There's nothing up here," Goldie whispered to us over the edge. "Just a bunch of moldy planks and algae."

We climbed over the edge. Sure enough, the ship appeared to be empty. "Alright, search for what may relate to the next clue: _Find what unlocks the heart." _I said quietly. "And remember- stealth."

"Ew, I think I stepped on a slug!" Red moaned, shuddering.

I rolled my eyes. My cousins were going to be the death of me yet!

We split up. Rosie and Posie searched the bow of the ship; Red and Goldie searched the main deck; and Lox, Pin, and I dared to venture into the captain's quarters. "Whoa," Pin commented, looking around the eerie room.

A little history about Blackbeard. He was the only legend in the world that wasn't a fairytale, though what the history books never told about him was he had a bit of magic on his side that helped him become successful on his raids. How did he acquire magic? By promising his heart to the sea witch, Kalypso (spelled with a 'K' not a 'C'. That other Calypso was more of a giant whirlpool impersonator). When Robert Maynard killed him, the sea witch revived him, having had a habit of liking fearsome pirates. Because Blackbeard never murdered or harmed anyone, the sea witch felt there was good in him, and said she would grant him immortality, and an unsinkable ship. In return, Blackbeard promised to never love any other woman. His promise was broken, however, when he met a lovely barmaid and (ahem) spent the night with her. The sea witch found out and cursed Blackbeard, saying he shall never live if he were to sail in her waters again. …He found a loophole, however, by sailing into Fairytale Land and coming across the lake, but not before the Fairytale Navy caught up to him and sank his ship and… well, you heard the rest of the story from the mouse.

Anyway, as we looked around the cabin, we felt as if we stepped back in time. Everything was antique: a clock, bed, desk, chairs, picture frames with watered-out portraits, and some moldy bread that set of a stench that even a fly would ignore. "Damn, this guy really needs an upgrade… and a housekeeper," I commented. I paused, seeing the skeletal remains of the pirate sitting behind a desk. "…And some skin."

"Blu, look. On ze desk," Lox whispered, motioning to something in front of the pirate.

I looked closer. It happened to be an old-fashioned, heart-shaped jewelry box, made out of stainless steel and having a wave-like engraving along the edges. I walked up to it, carefully reaching toward it. My first thought were those movies where someone is trying to grab something valuable from a dead-guy, and suddenly the supposedly dead-guy comes to life and grabs them as soon as they touch it… and now I regret thinking about that. Shaking my head and getting my moxy back, I quickly grabbed the jewelry box, observing it. I then noticed the key-hole.

"Looks like we need the key to this thing," I commented, then walked around the desk, searching through the drawers, while Pin and Lox searched around the bed and in an old trunk. As I looked, I turned toward the skeleton. "You must've been good at scavenger hunts, as well as you can hide something," I noticed a chain in his coat pocket then, and I reached in, pulling it out, seeing the small, silver key at the end. "Or, maybe not."

"She found it," Pin told Lox, and they walked over.

I inserted the key, unlocking the heart-shaped box, opening it. A sad tune began to play as we looked in. Inside was a heart-shaped locket made of metal, yet dyed blue. Time hadn't touched it, for it looked brand new. Beneath it was a piece of paper, which also looked as if it remained dry throughout the ages. I picked up the locket, then studied the paper. "They're coordinates," I said, reading them. "82-104, 33-16,"

"Vhat about ze locket?" Lox asked.

I shrugged. "Must be a trinket he nabbed," I pocketed the locket. "C'mon, lets go."

"Um… Blu?" Pin said, his voice quivering. "You may want to close that box first…"

I followed Pin's gaze, and my eyes widened. What I didn't notice was how Blackbeard's flesh began to grow back with every tune the box played. I quickly shut the box, but it was too late.

I brought the pirate back to life.

"AARRGH!" Blackbeard yelled, standing up and taking out his rusty blade. He wasn't fully alive, his flesh still rotted, but that didn't change the fact that he had some fight left in him.

"Well, ladies, I do believe we've overstayed our welcome," Pin said, calmly. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Blackbeard, but we really have to RUN!"

With that, we bolted out of the cabin, just in time to see skeletal/half-rotted pirates scouring the deck. Apparently, the music box didn't just affect Blackbeard. "AUGH! GET BACK, YOU UNDEAD FREAKS!" Red shouted, trying to fend off a couple pirates with her knives, while Goldie ran from another set. Rosie and Posie had been separated, being chased by two different pirates, unable to use their powers.

Ironically, pirates were part of one of her many erotic fantasies. (Amazing how much detail she writes in her diary).

Blackbeard stormed out his cabin just then, coming up behind us. "YAH!" he shouted, raising his sword.

*SPLOT!*

Something fell on his head just then, covering him in pink paint. "HEY, EL STUPIDOS! I WOULDN'T WASTE TIME CHASING THE GIRLS. YOU AIN'T GOT ANY BALLS TO SCREW 'EM WITH!" came a Spanish voice from above.

We looked up, along with the pirates, seeing Pedro and Tink hovering above the ship, smirking. "I doubt they know what to do with women anyway!" Tink said, rather loudly. "They've been hanging around men for centuries, after all!"

"YARGH!" Blackbeard shouted. …Apparently, he either forgot how to speak or his tongue was rotted, because all he could to was grunt. Though, I didn't need a translator to know that he knew Pedro, and hated him with a passion. He took out a pistol and shot at the flying boy- surprising that he kept the thing loaded- but Pedro only dodged.

"Nyah nyah! You missed again!" Pedro teased.

Rosie and Posie managed to get together, and rubbed the bauble. The water churned, and a giant black wave shot out of the water, splashing half the pirates overboard. "Quick, lets get off of this overgrown dingy!" I said.

Posie snickered. "You said 'dingy'…" she said.

"Grow up!" Red snapped.

"You guys need a lift?" Tink asked us, then threw some pixie-dust on us, making us float off the boat.

I didn't fly off fast enough, because Blackbeard managed to grab my ankle. "Argh!" he shouted.

"Blu!" Pin and gasped, and he grabbed my hands, trying to pull me from Blackbeard. For a dead guy, the pirate was pretty strong, because he yanked me back down.

Pin yanked me up.

Blackbeard yanked me down.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

*BLAURGH!*

It wasn't long before I got dizzy and vomited on the deck, making Blackbeard slip and tug all two of us down. The collision was pretty hard, because we caused one of this arms and legs to pop off. He looked at us, growling and taking out a dagger.

"Need a hand?" Pedro asked, holding Blackbeard's disembodied arm, and smacked him in the face with it!

We took the opportunity and shot off toward our camp.

Blackbeard bellowed, and we looked back, watching as his ship began to sink back into the lake. The blackness faded, and the reflection of the moon shined upon it once again. Pedro and Tink landed next to us, laughing. "That was the best one yet!" Tink laughed. "Did you see Blacky's face when Blu upchucked? Priceless!"

"And this time I didn't have to open that music box!" Pedro added, then turned toward the rest of us. "We oughtta team up with you guys more often! Brilliant job harassing those pirates, mi amigos!"

"Speak for yourself," Red sneered, wiping algae off her shoe.

"By the way, what were you guys doing on that ship, anyway?" Tink asked.

"Looking for a clue to a riddle," Wolf said, then filled them in.

"I will never watch another pirate movie again," Goldie muttered, roasting a marshmallow over the fire. "Ever."

"So, what do you think your parents left you?" Pedro asked me after Wolf told him everything. "A hidden treasure? Maybe a castle? Perhaps a toaster oven?"

I shrugged. "Whatever it is, I hope it's worth the trip," I said, feeling queasy. "Ugh, we got off the ship, but I still feel seasick."

"Probably from that cherry-cheeseburger you ate," Sai commented.

"Hey, look who's out of the bag," I retorted. "Anything happen while we were on the ship."

"Nothing, and a good thing too," Puss replied, nodding toward Sai. "Your 'fearless warrior' here wouldn't come out until the thunder stopped YEOW!"

Sai had stabbed Puss' tail. "So, what did you find on the ship?" she asked, quaintly.

"Only a locket and these coordinates," Pin replied, showing them the sheet of paper.

"Hey, I remember those coordinates!" Pedro exclaimed, reading them. "They lead to Zombie Island, just off the coast of Ozland! I remember the first time I went there…"

"Zombie Island, eh? Looks like we've found our land of the dead," Pin replied.

"By the way, I have a question," Goldie began. "Why were you and Tink by the lake tonight?"

"Oh, we come here every night," Pedro said, smiling. "When we heard about the legend of Blackbeard's curse, we decided to take the opportunity to antagonize him and his crew each night. I missed picking on pirates after a few centuries, you know."

"It's our favorite past-time!" Tink added.

"Well, play time's over," I said, stretching. "I vote we get some rest, before we risk our lives any more."

"Sounds good to me," Lox agreed.

We all crawled into our tents, getting some rest.

XxXxXxXxX

It wasn't even dawn when I woke up, once again needing to puke. My bladder felt like it was about to burst too, forcing me to take a leak in the woods. I also got a craving for sushi too… and I didn't even like sushi!

_Damn, I must be catching something. _I thought, holding my stomach as I walked back to camp. I kept getting sick, then felt like eating the weirdest food-combos, had an incredible urge to pee all the time, and felt like punching the lights out of someone for no reason. _I must be getting my period._

I paused just then. It was a new month, and I didn't get my period last month. I had skipped it.

"Oh… SHIT!" I screamed.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Ze cat is out of ze bag XD …Review?


	20. Chapter 20: Lox's Experience

Aaaaaaaaaand… now for the next chapter. YOJNE! …er, I mean ENJOY!

"_Your journey shall begin where stories end… Find the home were 25 feet fit into one shoe…On the latter find the dock that lives inside a grandfather…When 12 bells ring at night, go where the moon is afraid to travel… Find what can unlock the heart… Head to the island where the dead are alive, and only your heart can lead you then."_

**Reviewer Thanks, Cookies, Eggnog, and Soft Drinks**

**Starspring: **I had to look up the word 'fickle' to understand what you meant XD though I believe Blu shall be the fickle one eventually. …and antagonizing pirates every night IS a great past-time- you ought to try it sometime XD …And yes, things SHALL be interesting (I can't wait to write in Pin's reaction XD)

**Scoobycool9: **Meh, pregnancy is often easily noticeable :P …Don't ask why I have Blu choose Red and Goldie to join her- maybe she secretly wishes something will eat them along the way, idk. …I love that movie too! Have it on video. Though I may alter the zombies a bit, so not to rip off anything. …lol, tug-a-blu XD …And I will let you know as soon as I decide.

XxXxXxXxX

**Wolf's POV**

"Oh… SHIT!"

I was on my feet at once, after hearing Blu shout. "What? What is it? Are pirates attacking? Is some monstrosity lurking nearby? Did someone eat all the s'mores?" I stammered, looking around, my fists glowing with a blue vapor in case there was trouble.

"Who's screaming?" someone said behind me.

"WAUGH!" By reflex, I shot at them… realizing it was only Puss.

"Yeow! Watch where you're shooting, you nenorocit!" He rubbed his scorched tail, muttering something else in Romanian.

"What's going on?" Sai asked in an irritated tone, sitting up. "It had better be good if you're waking me this fucking early…"

We all looked over at Blu. "Sorry, just… thought I saw a serpent slither by. False alarm," she said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

Something was DEFINITELY off-balance in the universe, here. Blu was never, under any circumstance, nervous… especially about some serpent, since she'd encountered worse on hiking trips. I could sense shock in her emotion, like something was terribly wrong… and that she was trying to hide it.

…But I knew better than to prod Blu for answers. Last time I tried to get answers out of her about something all-too personal, she punched me between the eyes and tied a Roman Candle to my tail… Taught me a lesson on, when smelling blood, I shouldn't overreact TOO much.

"You screamed bloody-murder over some damned snake?" Sai sneered, then rolled her eyes. "Shit, and I thought you were tough,"

"'Least I don't cower under my blankets during a thunder-storm," I heard Blu mutter, but didn't say a word.

Puss and I both figured out Sai was afraid of storms the minute Blackbeard's ship appeared… but after knowing how bad-ass a fighter she was, we decided to take a vow of silence and NOT get our hides ripped off. …I mean, one little fear doesn't change the fact that she could kill someone in an instant. She reminded me of Blu a lot, with the cynical attitude, advanced swearing, cockiness, and short-temper… yet she also had a sweet side (somewhere…).

I lied back down, watching as Blu crawled back under her sleeping bag to get some rest, looking shaken up. I really wanted to ask what was wrong, but my common sense stuck with me. My concern, however, never faded for her, especially since she had gotten sick twice now. What if she was ill, and couldn't continue the quest?

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and saw that Lox was awake. "Wulf, might I speak vith jou?" she whispered, guiding me over to the bushes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

Lox sighed, looking back at Blu, who appeared to be trying to get back to sleep. "I think I know vhat is wrong vith Blu. Having been through it myself before, I can clearly tell ze signs,"

My ears perked up. "What? What's the matter with her? Is she sick? Does she need a doctor? Is there a cure?"

Lox chuckled a bit. "Relax, my friend. It is not an illness, und ze symptoms should fade eventually,"

"Well, what is it then?"

She peered once more at Blu, then lowered her voice to a quieter tone. "Do not tell anyone else, because I don't vant to make a scene, but… I believe jour friend may be pregnant,"

My heart stopped. "Uh… vhat?"

"Can jou not tell? Ze sickness, ze cravings, ze moodiness- vhich, I suspect, isn't zat different- und how shocked she sounded… I suspect she just found out herself,"

I could only blink. "Huh?"

"Jes, und I know it shall not stop zhere. She'll be taking many bathroom breaks, having wild mood-svings, und her little belly will start to expand… zhen, in just a few months, she shall have a little bundle of joy in her arms," Lox sighed dreamily. "Such a beautiful thing."

Not to me. "Uh… w-why are you bringing this up to me?"

She looked at me, curiously. "Vell, jou are ze father, are you not? From ze way jou follow her around, und how much jou are in love vith her, I suspect zat jou-"

"Whoa, whoa WHOA!" I cringed, looking to make sure no one was hearing this, and lowered my voice to a hushed tone. "It's not me! Trust me, Lox, I love Blu a lot, but we've never had intercourse. She doesn't like me that way, we're just friends!"

"Oh. Zhen who is ze father?"

I paused just then, and fury began to build up in me, and I clenched my fists. "You'll find out… when you see me kicking his fucking ass."

"Ah. …Okay."

I began to pace, anger clouding my mind. _I'm going to kill Pin! Son of a bitch, getting Blu pregnant! I'm surprised Blu didn't wake him up to beat the shit out of him! Ooh, as soon as he wakes up, I'm gonna… _I thought, darkly.

_What if he doesn't know, either? _a new thought came to mind. _Blu just found out, and Pin probably hasn't figured it out yet… Heck, Lox may be the only one who knows, considering she has exper-_

I froze then, and faced Lox. "Wait… you said you had experience. …What did you mean by that?" I asked her, stunned.

Lox sighed, sitting down by the lake, looking at her reflection. "It vas long ago… Jou see, vhen a were-human like myself mates, whether with a werewolf, wolfian, wolfed, or human, it means we have a chance to save our species, knowing how rare they have become. I had met a wolfian like yourself long ago. He was very brutal towards others, yet sweet to me… at least, only until he grew bored vith me und vent off to find a new mate… Anyvay, I became pregnant ze night before our break up, though I did not find out until a veek later. Zat was vhen Rancorous showed up und captured me," she then began to wince. "He had forced me to be part of his circus, showing how I could change from wolf into human under ze light of a full moon, announcing that I was a rare species." she sniffled then, tears running down her eyes. "Vhen he noticed I vas pregnant, he vanted to make sure I STAYED rare…"

My eyes widened in horror. I didn't want to hear more… but she went on.

"Vhen ze baby was born… gray fur and a black mane like ze father, only she vas a girl, und I vanted to name her Susan…" she began to sob. "Rancorous took her from me vhen I changed human, und used his vhip of flame to burn my shoulder to keep me back, und zhen he… disposed of her…" she covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "It vas zhen I vished the wolfian I loved vas around, to help me protect her… If only I had told him, perhaps he vouldn't have left…"

I put an arm around her. "I-I'm sorry… You didn't have to tell me, but…"

"I vanted to. Jou see… vhen I first met jou, I thought jou were him, yet jour eyes were a different colour, und jour voice was more gentle, und jou were kind to others… Ze reason I told jou is because, jou remind me so much of him und… I just felt zat I could trust jou vith my story. I had been keeping it for so long zat it ached me to hide it from jou." she looked back over at Blu. "Jour friend, she reminds me of myself a bit as vell… as scared as I vas back then. (sigh) I pray zat, whoever ze father is, she tells him immediately. I do not vant her to make ze same mistake as I had… just in case something were to happen to her." she winced. "From all the stories I have heard, hers sounds like ze most tragic one ever told,"

I nodded, keeping my arm around her. My shock about Blu being pregnant was one thing, but after hearing Lox's story… well, I decided to have second thoughts about killing Pin, just for the sake of the baby-to-be getting to know their father.

Silence fell upon us for a couple minutes, until I decided to speak again. "So, what was the name of this other Wolfian?" I asked. "I mean, we're a rare species, and I've never seen any others…"

"From vhat I heard, everyone called him ze Big Bad Volf, though he vent by ze name of Biggy," Lox answered, shrugging. "Though, he did not seem so bad vhen I-" she looked at me, curiously. "Wulf, are jou alright? Vhy is jour eye twitching?"

Shock had struck me once again, and I gulped. "Biggy… was my brother…"

I couldn't believe it.

I was hanging out with my older, evil, late-brother's ex-girlfriend!

_AND I HAD BEEN AN UNCLE?_

That was all I could take, and I fainted right then and there.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: …Things are really shaking up, aren't they?

Please review. No flames or your stockings will be stuffed with- not coal- but man-eating Chihuahuas.


	21. Chapter 21: Haunted Dream

(walks in with hedgehogs sitting on her head and shoulders) …Don't ask. Just read.

**Reviewer Thanks and does anyone want a free hedgehog?**

**Starspring: **Lol I ought to throw in a translator for Puss XD I have a habit of throwing in some scarring back-stories, though I try not to make them TOO graphic. And wow, I thought everyone forgot about Biggy! Glad you remembered! :D And trust me, Pin's reaction will be worthwhile ;)

**Scoobycool9: **Yeah, as if Ol' Whippy's animal-abuse wasn't enough. Yeah, poor child, I hate it when they don't get a chance to live :( …So would I.

XxXxXxXxX

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Miss Lilliesworth paced the floor, fuming. "Those ungrateful little wenches!" she muttered, packing her bag. "Running off out of their betrothment along with that 'Pin' fellow… Doesn't anyone abide by a contract anymore?" She then walked out of the room. "I'll handle it, though. I will go to the police office and demand a search-and-capture for them! I will not have them make a fool out of me!"

As she walked, she bumped into a fox-like hybrid. "Oh, pardon me, madame," he said, carrying a heavy sack and tipping his hat.

"Quite alright," She walked on, still muttering to herself. "Honestly, I doubt Rothberta ever went through this!"

Rancorous walked toward the forest, shrugging and adjusting the bag over his shoulder. He came across a pond, and laid out some bear-traps… made out of silver. "If those creatures or their accomplices come by, they'll be walking into their fateful mistake,"

A tiny girl, however, happened to be standing on a tree branch, a sparrow sitting beside her with a saddle on its back. "I must warn Blu!" she said to herself, climbing onto the sparrow and flying off. "C'mon, Jack!"

XxXxXxXxX

**Blu's POV**

Ever have one of those feelings where you think that something's about to go wrong, that you set someone on the warpath while someone else is lying-in-wait to get back at you for something?

Yeah… me neither.

We were at a boat dock that morning, loading a ship, the _WTF MANNE… _all the while who was the weirdo who'd name a ship that… and preparing for our voyage to the land of the dead. According to Tink's navigations, it would be a 4-month voyage. Oy.

Fangface II arrived that morning. "Sorry it took me so long to meet up with you guys," he said. "There had been a riot at the Gingerbread Bar, and it took a while to end the fight, and put out the fire before the house went from 'baked' to 'burned', and we had to patch up the damages. We practically ran out of frosting!"

"Sweet," Posie commented, impressed.

"We managed to solve the riddle, and we're heading to Zombie Island," Pin said.

"Red and Goldie are staying put, though." I added. "Apparently, being attacked by zombified pirates was too much for 'em, and they want to keep away from anything undead for a while."

"Oh, good. We might get a quiet voyage, then… let alone a secure sleep," the wolfid knight commented.

"Secure sleep?" Wolf questioned.

"Ever wake up in the middle of the night and find a red-hooded slut peeking in through your window?"

"Trust me, you're not alone," Pin told him, and they both laughed.

I felt uneasy, wondering how I was going to tell Pin that I was pregnant. I couldn't tell him now, otherwise he'd make me stay behind on my own quest, or worry about me during every minute of it. I had to wait for the right moment… let alone how to start. Whenever I saw moments like this on television, I'd always criticize the women in the situation, telling them to just blurt out and tell the men the truth and stop being so nervous. …Though, now that I was in said situation, I knew how they felt.

I shook my head, deciding to think about it later, and got on the ship. We cast off, Tink and Pedro at the helm, being the only ones who knew about sailing, while the rest of us got settled in our quarters, save Rosie and Posie, who were enjoying the ocean scenery- let alone their freedom. If they could, I'd bet those twins would sail clear to Japan just to get away from their aunt.

I lied down in my bed, thinking about all that had happened… First I lose my job and house, thanks to some specter and Lilliesworth, then some animal-abuser drives Lox into Wolf's arms, then I find out my aunt and uncle had been holding out on me all these years, met Sai, turned down Pin's proposal (twice, after finding out he had been betrothed), seen a bunch of knights rip off Monty Python, Puss decides to return, Lox changes human, we encounter a butt-load of riddles, we face undead pirates, I find out we're pregnant, and now I'm off to a zombie-filled island to find out what kind of treasure my parents have for me.

Ironically, I've done crazier things on the weekends.

I fell asleep, lost in my thoughts, having one hell of a freaky dream…

_There I was, standing on top of a crumbling tower in a storm, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes standing right next to me. Her hair was tied back in a ribbon and she wore a white dress, yet she seemed demonic. "So, looks like my plans for you are finally starting to take place," she said, smirking. _

"_What plans?" I sneered._

"_Plans for me to finally live again…"_

_I glowered at her. "Yeah, tough-shit Annabelle, but I'm not going to help you after what you've done,"_

_She grinned, showing sharp teeth. "You already have… You're in Ash's ring now, Carson. And when you're in Ash's ring, you do as I say, or you and your friends will all… fall… down!"_

_With that, the floor beneath me gave way and I fell, Annabelle's evil- and annoying- cackle ringing in my ears._

I woke up, sitting up and looking around. _Great, now she's haunting my dreams. _I thought, bitterly.

"Bad dreams?" came a voice, and I saw a pair of eyes and a crescent-shaped smile floating in front of me.

"You!" I snapped, swinging my pillow at the Cheshire Cat. "What gave you the nerve to come back, you disappearing pussy?"

"I just wanted to see how you and Sai were coming along since I last saw you both. How have you been? Have you helped her solve her identity crisis yet? I heard you've got a mystery of your own, as well…"

"And it's all none of your business,"

The Cheshire cat chuckled. "Oh, but it will be. Zombie Island is near Underland, my home territory. Once you reach it, you'll be in my game-zone, and I'll get to play by my own rules, without your say…" he began to disappear. "Watch your steps, especially after you walk…"

"We have enough riddles too, thank you!" I sighed bitterly and lied back down, staring at the ceiling.

This was going to be a loooong voyage.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: What shall happen next? Stay tuned.

Review.

Flame? No.


	22. Chapter 22: One Hell of a Voyage

(watching Veggietales with niece…) Oh! Uh, sorry, got sidetracked. Here's a new chapter!

**Reviewer (veggietaaaales, veggietaaaaales…) er, I mean Thanks!**

**Starspring: **Yeah, sometimes I make too many of my characters alike :P And if you think that's bad, you should see the women I had to deal with (that's basically where I get my inspiration for villains, rofl); Witnesses are a good thing… unless you're Wolf- he had to witness 'something' earlier which wasn't too… good; And you are SO right!

**Scoobycool9: **I had to give Cheshire another appearance ^-^; It is a tough thing to tell, and four months at sea doesn't really help either does it?

XxXxXxXxX

It had been two months since we set sail… but it felt longer. The voyage didn't exactly start out smooth, and it wasn't going any smoother since day one. To save you guys from having to go through several flash-backs to see what happened, let me sum it up for you:

During the first week, Wolf got sea-sick, which didn't help swab the deck any easier, especially since I was already suffering from morning sickness.

Then a week after that, Rosie and Posie decided to try cooking in the galley, using their bauble to make the dinner ingredients hover off the shelves and have the meal cook itself… instead, though, they started a food-fight when the cooking nymph on the ship bellowed at them to get out of the kitchen (nymphs tend to be very territorial), leaving yet ANOTHER mess to clean up… and causing dinner to be four hours late.

The next week got worse, because Pedro and Tink decided to pull a prank on Fangface II (I enjoy calling him that just to annoy him), by slipping wolfs-bane in his coffee and making him dose off for 48 hours, giving them plenty of time to slip him in a dress and throw him in Sai's bed… She found it funny at first, but still kicked his ass.

After that week Lox snuck into the storage for midnight snacks, but was caught by Pin after we realized we were running low on hamburger, forcing us to stop at port for more supplies… and buying a lock for the storage door.

Then the next week, Fangface II decided to get back at Pedro and Tink by mixing up an anti-flight potion and pouring it in their drinks, making them unable to fly… though, by the end of the week, he admitted it was all psychological, and he made them feel like total jackasses. (Now he's trying to figure out a way to get Sai to impale them)

Then a week after THAT, Puss pissed off Sai… how, I didn't get the details. All I know is that it had something to do with why Sai's braid had been cut off. Anyway, it took the whole crew to keep Sai from spilling blood, while Wolf had to hold back the cat, and I have a feeling that, until Sai's hair grows back to it's recent length, Puss had better watch his back.

And then last week Pin and Tink got into a fight over what course to take after we reached a fork in the road… well, in the sea. …Don't ask how it's possible, because even I'm having trouble figuring it out.

I think I did something terrible in the past to deserve a shitty life, because guess what? THINGS GOT WORSE!

I could feel the storm before I heard the shouting, the tossing and turning waking me from sleep. "Oh, come ON!" I griped, climbing out of my hammock, throwing on a baggy shirt and a large pair of pants. I had been wearing baggier clothes since my stomach started to swell, so no one would notice, and I was glad Pin had so much masculinity to make him wear an XL sized T-shirt. …Why was I still wearing his shirt? It was the only thing that wasn't blue.

I ran onto the deck, seeing that the sky was dark and everyone was running about (or flying about, in Pedro and Tink's cases) trying to keep the ship from capsizing. Fangface II was wrestling with the helm; Pedro, Tink, Pin, and Puss were handling the sails; Rosie and Posie stood at the bow of the ship, their bauble glowing bright, either trying to signal other ships or pulling some sort of trick to keep the waves from drowning us; and Wolf was using his fairy-power to keep precious cargo from sliding off-deck. Sai wasn't seen, so I guess she was somewhere keeping out of the storm.

"Get back below deck!" Someone snapped at me, gripping my shoulder. I noticed it was Lox, back in her human form (wow, full moon already?). "Jou should not be out here in your condition!"

"I'm fine!" I snapped back, tearing out of her grip and running up to Fangface II. "See any way to get through this storm?"

"The Plague Sisters are lighting the way," the wolfid knight answered, and I noticed his eyes were glowing- obviously using his night-vision. "Remind me to kill the weather-man when we get back. '85 percent chance of sunshine' my ass!"

"The sails are secure!" Pedro said, flying in front of us. "That ought to keep the wind from blowing us around… though we'll have to do something about these waves!"

"Stop joking around and see if you can spot any land ahead!" he then faced me. "Blu, make sure everyone's lifelines are secured, and tie yourself down while you're at it!"

"Aye aye," I scoffed, running down the deck and tying my lifeline, then began to secure everyone else's.

You might be wondering what kind of vessel we're sailing. An old-fashioned one, dating back to the 1800s. We'd use one of those modern-day ships, but the oil attracts shark-maids- they're like mermaids, but with sharp teeth, dorsal fins, and they ain't pretty, and are addicted to anything toxic, polluting, bloody, or minty-fresh. They lurk deep in the ocean, following modern ships, hiding underneath them, and when some unsuspecting person is on deck alone, looking over the edge, they shoot up and chomp their bodies like fat kids and a gingerbread house!

Anyway…

I was double-checking the lines when I heard Annabelle's voice. "You should have stayed below deck," she hissed, her eyes glowing red and her teeth sharp. "Otherwise you might spoil my chances of getting revenge!"

"Go back to hell, already!" I sneered.

"You cannot win, Carson! I chose you for a reason!" She then faded away.

I kept pondering what use she had for me, but I decided to focus on the situation at-hand and worry later. I noticed one of the life-lines had tightened, then became loose minutes later, while the rope shriveled down. "Oh, shit," I gasped, noticing that it had snapped.

"MAN OVERBOARD!" Tink shouted.

"Shit again!" I ran over to the edge, seeing that the Plague Sisters were lighting the waters while Tink and Pedro flew ahead, searching for whoever fell. I caught a glimpse of someone swimming towards the boat. "Over there!"

Pedro dove… but before he could make a rescue, they had been pulled under. He tried to dive in the water, but a crowd of gnashing teeth kept him in the air.

The storm cleared just then, the boat stopped rocking, and the Plague Sisters used their bauble to create a wave to send the shark-maids flying back. Pedro and Tink flew up, their heads low. "We couldn't save him," Tink sighed, shaking his head.

"Who fell overboard?" I asked… but when I looked at what Pedro held in his hands, I wished I didn't find out.

It was Pin's hat, which had several bites in it.

I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry… I wanted to breakdown and hit something. I wanted to grab a harpoon and impale every single one of those fin-backed bastards… then something dawned on me. "Why were they following us?"

"Look!" Pedro gasped, pointing over the edge. We looked over, seeing that there was oil, raw meat, and spearmint gum floating in the water, trailing behind us.

Someone wanted us dead.

"But who…" I began to ask, but something stopped me once again.

"Land ho!" Posie and Rosie both called, pointing ahead.

We looked ahead, seeing an island full of dead trees, dark soil, black sand, and a large crypt sitting on an abandoned churchyard's hill in the distance. People who had the plague had been sent here to die, the disease running its course throughout the whole isle, finally dying out once everything else was dead… though, since the island was cursed by a witch who had been sent here, everything dead came back to life.

We had reached Zombie Island.

XxXxXxXxX

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Sai hated storms. She didn't know why, she couldn't remember… something about the thunder just freaked her out. She hid in her room, a blanket pulled over her head, hoping to drown out the crashings and roar of the terrible weather, wanting to hear nothing but silence…

But she did hear something else.

A yell for help.

Stirring up her courage, she looked out the porthole window, seeing that Pin had fallen overboard… and saw a blonde haired girl hovering in the air, dumping oil, meat, and litter into the water, then cutting Pin's lifeline. She saw dorsal fins in the water swimming up fast. _Damn, no matter where you go, someone wants you dead! _she thought, then- tying her sheets together and around her waist, dove out the window.

She stayed underwater, watching as the shark-maids pulled Pin under. She swam over and sliced at the one with a hold on him with her swords, while Pin used his dagger to keep the rest at bay. She grabbed the rope still tied to his waist and pulled him back toward the ship, the shark-maids following. Sai then whipped out a small orb with the letter 'K' on it, pulling out a pin and leaving it floating in front of them.

The k-bomb shot off green-fire, which Sai knew was Greek fire, the only kind of flame that could burn in water, and the shark-maids shrieked and swam away, most of them already burned. Sai and Pin, in the meantime, climbed through the porthole.

"Thanks," Pin said once they were inside, breathing in gasps of air. "I thought I was fish-food for a minute there."

"Meh, I faced worse." Sai scoffed, shaking her head dry. "Now, lets get back on deck, we've got a new problem on our hands."

"Another one? What now?"

"In case you haven't noticed, someone lead those shark-maids toward the ship. No doubt someone's trying to stop us from finishing this trip."

"Land ho!" They heard the twins exclaim, and Sai then realized the storm had stopped.

And their troubles were just beginning.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: I know it got a little cheesy at the end, there, but I decided to be nice and save everyone the suspense this time. …Question is, why does Annabelle want everyone dead? And what plans does she have for Blu? And what will happen to our heroes on Zombie Island? Stay tuned!

Please review. One flame, and you're shark-maid meat.


	23. Chapter 23: Red Gets Hers, M warning

Now, because I want to update this story, here is a new chapter.

Warning: The following chapter may contain content that might scar your kittens for life. Read with caution!

**Reviewer Thanks and you have been warned**

**Starspring: **Rofl, Larry is my favorite character too! XD ; Yeah, making it to the island is the only thing close to an upside for our heroes; Hey, it's time the hansom guys got saved by the girls, am I right?; And we'll find out Annabelle's cruel plot in time.

**Scoobycool9: **You got that right XD ; She just might… but what, is the mystery; Yeah, I like to move things along… otherwise this story would never end; And that's one reason why I'm updating so quick, lol

XxXxXxXxX

**Red's POV (oh, great T_T)**

After being chased by zombie pirates, I needed a break.

What I still couldn't wrap my mind around, still, was why Pin slept with Blu. I mean, no offense to my cousin, but she's not exactly that attractive, and is in major need of an attitude adjustment. She's so flat-chested you wouldn't believe her to be a girl, her hair is always a mess, she always wears the same outfit for two weeks, and hardly shows an ounce of kindness. It's unbelievable that she was named 'Most Beautiful In The Land' since her looks are drab and she's always a bitch. …Maybe she just got the title because her mother was the Blue Fairy.

I remember my aunt well. SHE was the most kind and gorgeous woman… it's hard to believe she fell for Blu's father, Adam. He was a real beast- I mean literately. Bad temper, bad manners, had hair all over his body, fangs, claws, bad wardrobe… It's no wonder he locked himself away until he was 21! …I guess that's where Blu gets it, but I'm not one to judge.

Anyway, I was glad to have a break, as Goldie and I walked through the forest. The past four months were really flying by, and winter really set in. Fairytale Land had winter for four months a year, and as soon as you saw that it was coming up on your calendar, you really had to prepare yourself, for as soon as the first day of winter hits, the land is buried in snow! …I was glad it was finally starting to melt, a sign that spring was here at last.

"How do you think Blu is doing?" Goldie asked as we walked.

"Probably braining some monster in the head as we speak, stuck in a life-in-death situation, or having another one-night-stand with Pin." I replied, still pissed about it. "I'm guessing she'll either be victorious, or come home knocked-up."

Goldie sneered. "You say that like you've never had sex before,"

"I know how to have smart-sex- condoms, pills, medical check-ups, the works. Blu, however, doesn't believe in any of that, claiming that birth-control is unnatural and 'what happens will happen' and shit like that."

"I heard that doesn't always work. What if you end up pregnant?"

"That won't happen to me, otherwise I'll just hire a nanny until I was ready to take care of it myself,"

"They say that when a woman becomes a mother when she gets pregnant, and maternal instinct kicks in then,"

"Pfft, yeah, if you're an animal. I say if you're not ready to take care of a baby, have someone else do it for y-"

*Snap!*

"OW!" Goldie screamed, and I saw that she had stepped into a bear-trap. "Get it off, it's tearing off my ankle!"

"H-Hold still!" I stammered, bending over and prying open the trap… all the while wondering who set these traps out in the first place. Normally no one hunted unless there was a monster causing havoc, and only set traps around their homes. Right now, there didn't appear to be a single house in sight, unless some squirrel was guarding its tree.

"A-HA!" Came a shout, and a fox leaped out of the bushes. "I've got you now, you mangy- oops." he cleared his throat. "Sorry about that, I thought you were some mangy beast."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Professor Rancorous. I'm terribly sorry about my traps, but one of the animals from my circus escaped and has been causing trouble lately. They've been missing for months now, and I thought that I had finally captured them,"

"Maybe we could help. We've trained with the 12 Huntresses, and our cousin Blu has a few allies that will help us out if we give her name," Goldie grunted, holding her wounded leg. "Ooh… Red, hand me your cape, blood is getting everywhere!"

I handed her my cape- it has healing powers. Her cape wasn't able to heal until she was 13, so she still had a couple months to go. "Did you say Blu?"

"Yeah, you know her?" I asked… though it wouldn't be a surprise. Everyone knows Blu- most of them enemies.

The fox grinned. "Yes, we've met before. Perhaps I could make it up to you for injuring your little cousin. How would you like to come to my circus, free admission?"

I rubbed my chin. "Do you have young, male acrobats?"

"The best."

Yes!

"Alright, lets go," I agreed, helping Goldie to her feet once her wound was healed, and we followed the fox-man.

His circus was nothing like I had ever seen. For one thing, there wasn't many people or attractions… just a large tent and a train. "The fun doesn't exactly start until tonight, but you're welcome to meet some of my stars," Rancorous said, leading us into the train.

Inside, I couldn't believe my eyes. There was a tiger-back griffin; a uni-centaur; an albino buffalo-headed minotaur; a three-headed gorgon (each head was blindfolded); a fire-breathing fish with wings; and a two-tailed mermaid.

They were all either in cages, tanks, or chained against the wall.

And they were all rare species.

"Where did you find these guys?" Goldie asked Rancorous.

"Met them in my travels, and decided to make them part of the show," Rancorous replied, his tone now having a dark edge.

I glared at him. "You captured them!" I snarled. "These are endangered species! They shouldn't be locked away for some circus act! …And where the hell are the male acrobats?"

"I know they're endangered… and to make sure they stay that way, I keep them locked up, so they remain rare, and my show remains a success."

"That's unnecessary endangerment! They could die!" Goldie snapped.

"That's a risk I always take… and the profit still escalates."

I drew my bow and arrow. "You're not going to get away with this! We're going to take you in with citizen arrest, and free these creatures!" I threatened. "If you don't cooperate, we'll kill you where you stand."

He chuckled. Bad sign. "I don't think so, my dear. You see, my first star happens to be quite rare, and they enjoy show-business… That's why I don't keep them locked up, but let them stay in a room behind that curtain. If you try to make me resist, they'll make sure you don't see the light of day…"

Goldie gasped just then. "Red, look out!" She tried to warn.

Too late. The tentacles wrapped around my ankles before I had a chance to shoot my arrow, swinging me up into the air and making me drop my weapons, and I was dragged behind the curtain… and that's where I met him.

He was an octo-maid, like a mermaid but with tentacles instead of a fin. The last time his species was seen was in the Little Mermaid book, where his mother was a sea-witch… but she was killed, so that made him the last one (that I knew of, anyway). "Well, well, well, it seems you're trying to take away my stardom." he said, arching an eyebrow at me, his face hidden in the shadows. "I don't like it when people try to do that…"

"I don't care! Those other creatures don't deserve to be lock-" I began to snap, thrashing as he pulled me closer… and I forgot how to speak.

He had long, wavy black hair, muscular biceps, and a face that looked like it belonged on an angel, and deep blue eyes. He was more hansom than any man I ever met… beautiful enough to put Pin to shame, even! I could only stare.

He smirked then… and I felt my heart melt. "From the way you're staring, perhaps I can give you options. You can either try to fight me and lose, or I could do something else besides kill you…"

I finally found my voice. "What would THAT be?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Goldie's POV**

"Red!" I screamed, watching my cousin get hauled off behind the curtain. I then faced Rancorous, drawing my knives. "You'd better hope my cousin will be alright!"

"And why would I hope that?" he scoffed.

I immediately lunged, kicking him in the gonads then elbowing him upside the jaw, making him hit the ground, and I then leaped on his chest. "Because otherwise YOU won't be."

He snarled and smacked me away, then took out what appeared to be a flaming whip. "It's a good thing I got this thing repaired." He then whipped fire at me, but I dodged, leaping on a crate then pouncing over his head. The fox whipped at me, only singing the hairs on my legs, and I landed behind him, stabbing him in the ass. "YEOW!"

I then swung a kick, knocking his legs out from behind him, then made a slice on his arm when he tried to whip me again. "Just so you know, this isn't the first time I played with fire," I grabbed his whip and started whipping at him.

He yelped, rolling out of the way, then ran out the door, slamming it shut and locking us in. "You'll never get out! The keys are in my cart, and you'll never get them!"

…Even though he had a point, that was possibly the lamest thing anyone could have said. But I decided not to judge, and save my cousin instead. "I'm coming, Red!"

"OoooOOOH!" came what sounded like a pained moan. Shit!

I rushed forward, hearing music… which sounded like 'The Ding Dong Song'. "R-Red?" I pulled back the curtain.

Seeing that my cousin was fine…

Though from what I just saw, I was the one scarred for life.

Tentacles were slipping and rubbing all over her, she was moaning with pleasure, and the… 'man' pleasing her had his tongue out, panting and grinning. He then pulled her closer and began doing something that I didn't need to see, while Red let out a couple gasps, begging for more… and he gave her more.

I shut the curtain, my eyes wide… along with the rest of the creatures who were also unfortunate to see the sight.

"None of you would happen to have the ability to erase minds, would you?" I asked, weakly.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: With every 'Blu' story, I always include something that scars someone for life. …Please forgive me!

Review… but, um, don't flame or, um… yeah. O.o


	24. Chapter 24: The Zombie Nerds Cometh

Sorry for taking so long on this, but I decided to give you all time to get over your shock from that earlier chapter. Red kept complaining that she wasn't getting enough 'stardom' and wanted a scene for herself, so I threw one at her to shut her up.

Though here's that memory-erasing device from the Men In Black movies to help us- (accidentally hits button) *click* *flash*

O.o …Uh, what am I doing here? What's going on?

**Reviewer… wait, who are you people?**

**Scoobycool9: **So sorry for tattooing that image in your brain; The octo-maid does sound perfect to any girl… if they're like Red; Goldie will find a way, hopefully, otherwise she now has a reason to not follow in her cousin's footsteps; And don't worry, the villains will get theirs eventually.

**Starspring: **Red also deserves to be the one pregnant, but no child deserves a mother like that; I don't think the octo-maid is quite a villain, he just works for one- you know, a lackey… which I guess is worse; Sorry you're scarred for life… and please don't give Goldie ideas.

XxXxXxXxX

I had a feeling it was a good thing I was far away from home at the moment, suddenly getting a shudder. I also had the mind not to wonder why.

As we stepped onto the black sand, we studied the island's eerie scene, realizing that it was WAY too quiet for a place that should be crawling with zombies. "So, where's all the dead people?" Posie asked.

"In the jungle," Fangface II replied, kneeling down and scooping up the sand. "This is dissolsand, a mixture of eye of newt, tadpole tails, phoenix talons, griffin vomit, and fetis of satyrs, combined in water from a poisoned pond and baked in a golden pan with a silver lining, and crushed to dust with a giant's toe-nail. It's use is to keep zombies at bay, otherwise any part of them that would touch it would immediately dissolve."

Considering the ingredients of the sand, I was hoping the knight would wash his hands afterwards. "So vhy is it surrounding ze island?" Lox asked.

"Well, zombie lungs are basically shriveled up, so they'd be able to walk in the water, thus leaving the island to find fresh flesh to devour. The last person who set foot on the island after the curse was a sorcerer, and he spread the sand all around the island when the people on his ship were attacked. Not only did the sand keep the zombies away, but the blackness of it made others believe it to be an omen that this place was dangerous."

"Set the right impression," I commented. "So, what about the water? What if there's zombies there?"

"I can't say, but if there are some, they probably went off by-"

"AUGH! ZOMBIE!" Rosie shrieked, and we spun around…

…Seeing Pin walking toward us, soaking wet. "Zombie? Where?" He asked, looking around.

"Oh, this is TERRIBLE!" Wolf wailed. "First Pin gets eaten alive, and now he's a zombie! When will it all END?"

"He's not a zombie, you dumbass! And he wasn't eaten alive, either." Sai scoffed, standing behind Pin. "Lucky for his ass, I chased those fucking shark-maids off."

"Hey, that could be another reason why zombies wouldn't be in the water! The shark-maids would have eaten them!" Posie exclaimed.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA, you mean you've been alive for the past two minutes, and you didn't SAY ANYTHING?" I snapped, then smacked him with his own hat. "Son of a bitch, I almost had an episode because of you!"

"Sorry…" Pin said, quietly.

"Um, I hate to interrupt your little reunion, but what are we supposed to do now?" Puss asked, nonchalantly.

"The riddle said that once we reached ze island, only our hearts could lead us," Lox recalled.

"Yeah, that's a fat lot of help," Sai scoffed.

I sighed and began to pace, sticking my hands in my pockets, wondering if this trip was just a big joke, and why I even bothered coming… then I felt something. I pulled the heart-shaped locket out of my pocket, and I realized I forgot that I swiped it off Blackbeard. I opened it up, and I couldn't frickin' believe it.

It was a compass!

I watched as the compass' dial twisted to the west, pointing at the old churchyard. "Blu? What is it?" Wolf asked, noticing I was standing still.

I couldn't resist but rip-off Jack Sparrow. "We have our heading," I answered.

"You're kidding. We're going to follow that compass to that creepy church infested with zombies?" Sai sneered.

"Well, they said 'your heart will lead you', and this is as close as I can get to figuring out what it meant,"

"I think I'll guard the ship," Rosie said, walking off.

"No way. We have to stick together," Pin said, firmly.

"And why is that?" Posie questioned.

"Because you're going to have a hell of a time steering a ship by yourselves if the rest of us get eaten." Sai retorted.

"Look on the bright side- facing flesh-eating groups of dead guys won't be as bad as handling your aunt," I added.

"Too bad she didn't come with," Posie sighed. "If those zombies attack, we could have thrown her at them and ran."

And people say I have a morbid mind… though, I was also thinking the same thing about my aunt and uncle Hood.

Cautiously, we entered the jungle with our weapons drawn. "So, how vill ve know if a zombie is coming?" Lox asked in a whisper.

"Won't the sound of them moaning, '_Braaaaaiiiiiins…_' be enough?" Sai retorted.

"Not really. Whatever movies you've seen are way out of proportion," Pin answered. "Zombies don't moan unless they're chasing you, and don't stop until you've eluded them or they've ripped the flesh off your bones. Though they're kind of klutzy because they keep tripping over some disembodied limbs, and often get confused because most of their brains are rotted, so you'll probably hear them bumping around. But don't think they're not bright- zombies are like nerds."

"Nerds?" Rosie and Posie questioned.

"Fun to tease, easy to torment, but still smart enough to find a method for attack," I answered. "That's why most nerds are labeled as 'zombies' when they're at the computer or watching a 'Doctor Who' marathon, and zombies are labeled as nerds because they're smarter than they are brawny and never had a date for the prom. …It's ironic that both of them have had a surplus of movies in the past two decades, and always go after the most attractive girls."

We walked on, and it wasn't even a minute before we saw two zombies in front of us… both of them playing with a "Dungeons and Dragon" game set on a boulder. Their flesh was rotted and their eyes had sunken back, one of them had no arms… which made it hard for them to roll the dice, considering he was picking them up with his mouth. They noticed us immediately, and one of the pointed, and they spoke in short words.

I don't speak zombie, but I have a feeling they wanted to devour us, or needed some extra players. Either way, we were out of there, running.

"Why are we running?" Rosie asked. "Aren't zombies normally slow?"

"Once again, you watch too many movies," Fangface II replied. "Zombies can run pretty fast, especially if they're being chased by an opposition- like we said, they're like nerds."

"Well, since we're running, how about we head to the church before they catch up to us, huh?" I sneered.

We probably stirred up a commotion, because it wasn't long before five more zombies came around… I could smell the scent of pocket-protectors a mile away. One managed to get in front of us, but Fangface II quickly cut off its head, and its body spent the remainder of its time trying to find it. As we rushed on, Wolf kept using his fairy-power to blast the zombies back- though, since fairies can't kill a different species (despite these guys were already dead), he could only do as much as shove them into trees.

"They won't stop for anything, will they?" Sai sneered, slicing a zombie in its midsection when it popped out of the bushes.

"Lets see… LOOK! A STAR TREK DVD!" Puss shouted, pointing to the left, but the zombies kept coming. "Nope."

We rushed up the hill, and I figured running to the church was a bad idea, because there was a whole swarm of zombies lounging around the graves. "We're fucked," Wolf gulped, and I could tell it was that serious when he cusses.

The undead nerds came at us in groups, forcing us to hack our way toward the church, getting separated from each other. Pin stuck by my side, though and we kept moving. I saw flashes of blue, knowing Wolf was fighting, and somewhere a whole bunch of body parts were flying everywhere, meaning Sai was having her fun. I couldn't see the others until we got to the top of the hill… because they were there.

Quickly as we could we rushed to the church, and the others met up with us- Wolf flying through the air with Lox on his back and Fangface II in his arms, and Sai leaped up, running on every zombie's head and landing in front of us. "Where's the twins?" Pin asked.

There was a flash of light that sent half the zombies flying into the jungle, and the Plague Sisters ran forth, their bauble in their hands. "C'mon, inside," Fangface II said, and we ran into the church.

"Hey, the zombies aren't trying to come in… why?" Posie asked.

"This is a sacred building. Those undead geeks were brought to life from witchcraft, and the only force strong enough to keep it from spreading is the power of God," Puss answered. "That, or they're highly religious and believe it would be disrespectful to break into the Lord's house."

"Either way, I'm glad they're staying out there," Sai said, breathing hard. I noticed she had a couple scratches on her arm, and Fangface II had a bite-mark on his tail.

"You'd better get those treated," Pin said, referring to their wounds. "If you don't you'll change into a zombie in 24 hours,"

"What can treat them?" Sai asked.

"Phoenix tears. Luckily I brought a bottle, just in case- oh no,"

"What? Don't say 'oh no'. 'Oh no' always means something bad, PLEASE don't say-" Wolf stammered.

"I had it in my backpack… which I left in my room on the ship,"

"Way to go, Pin-head!" Sai snapped. "Now we've got to run all the way back to the ship through a horde of pissed off zombies!"

"I'll go get it. I can fly there," Wolf volunteered.

"Speaking of 'flight', where the heck are Pedro and Tink?" Puss asked, and we noticed the two tricksters were nowhere in sight.

"Eh, maybe they decided to have some fun and hang some zombies by their underwear," I said with a shrug.

With Pedro and Tink, it was hard to say.

XxXxXxXxX

**Tink's POV**

I watched as Pedro flew through the air with the zombie's head, as the body leaped up, trying to grab it. "Tink! 'Heads' up!" he called, throwing it to me.

I was careful to catch it, in fear that I'd catch the zombie by the mouth. "Shouldn't we be with the others? I mean, they might need our help." I suggested.

Pedro rolled his eyes. "Fine. We can play 'Zombie In The Middle' later. Lets-" he paused just then, a strange look in his eye.

"Pedro? Are you alright?" I asked, dropping the zombie's head.

He looked up at me, smiling. "Yeah, I'm okay, just thought I saw something. Lets go find Blu,"

We flew off… though I couldn't shake this feeling that something was seriously wrong.

XxXxXxXxX

A/N: Alright, hopefully just a few more chapters until the finally. What will our heroes find in the church? Will Wolf return in time? What did Pedro see? Will they ever finish this journey?

Please review. No flames, or I'll give the zombie-nerds your phone-numbers.


	25. Chapter 25: Excalibur II

Now for another update… before my cold settles in :P

**Reviewer *atchoo!* Thanks**

**Scoobycool9: **Eh, I like to be weird ^-^ ; I hope so, too; Thank you; And alright ;)

**Starspring: **Because he paid attention in school, that's why (you need to know these things, especially when zombies are lurking about); No one ever notices the similarity; Yeah, otherwise this plot would suck; Good point; And of course it means mischief!

**Elizabeth: **Zombie Nerds FTW; …I never heard of Marchen, sorry; Yay, I gave you another memorable quote! ^-^; No, witchcraft is forbidden in churches, witches can enter as long as they don't use it; Yep… crap.; I had to look up 'otaku' to answer so… yes; I'd respond to the rest of your reviews, but I think I'll just say thanks and give you a box of muffins *gives*. Thanks!

XxXxXxXxX

We began to search the church, looking for any secret compartments, or hidden rooms, heck even a hollow Bible that was probably used to store liquor! We searched all the pews, walked upstairs and searched the rooms, in the old organ, behind the choir booth, under the reverend pedestal, and even went as far as searching the bathroom.

You know what we found?

Zilch.

I was getting pissed. I was hoping on finding some mystic jewel, or a sacred artifact… I would even settle for another riddle! But no matter where we looked, we didn't find fuck. "I can't believe it! We came all this way, but there's nothing here!" Sai snarled.

"Maybe we're not searching in the right places," Pin guessed… and if we weren't in a church, I would have beat him black and blue, considering we searched everywhere.

I sighed, sitting down and looking out a window, seeing that all the zombies were now reading mangas and having pokemon tournaments, waiting for us to come out. I sighed and looked at the stained glass windows instead. There was one of Christ, one of a choir of angels, one of an angel with blue wings…

Wait. Blue wings?

I looked at it, seeing that the angel happened to be pointing somewhere. I followed the finger, seeing that it was pointing at a crypt outside… one that was painted blue. _If that isn't a subliminal message, I don't know what is. _I thought, standing up. "Guys, I think Pin's right," I spoke up. "We're searching in the wrong place,"

"Where are we supposed to search, then?" Puss asked.

"Out there," I pointed out the window at the crypt.

"You want us to go back outside and search in a tomb that might be infested with zombies?" Rosie questioned.

"Damn, and I thought the trip ended here!" Posie exclaimed.

"Pin, Puss, Sai and I will go out and search," I said, walking toward a back door, digging into my backpack as I did. "The rest of you stay here and wait for Wolf,"

"Right," Fangface II said with a nod.

We walked out, seeing that a few zombies were, in fact, lounging around and waiting for us, then began to stumble after us. I pulled a manga out of my backpack and threw it at a zombie who caught it, and let out an excited moan, which caught the attention of the rest of them, and they stumbled over to see. "What did you throw at them?" Puss asked in a whisper.

"A hentai manga," I replied. "I bought one at the last port- it's one thing zombie nerds can't resist, but we'll have to move fast, just in case some of them aren't perverted."

Sure enough, a few zombies weren't interested and began chasing after us. Sai took something off her belt and threw it, making it erupt in green flames and keeping the zombies at bay, while we raced to the crypt. "Why didn't you throw one of those before?" Puss demanded.

"I only use them in emergencies, or on someone who pissed me off," Sai replied sharply, and showed the bite on her arm. "And buddy, those freaks really pissed me off, and if I become a zombie, I'm going to spend my time kicking their undead asses all over this island!"

"You'd have to do it before your brain rotted and you'd grow interested in learning the quantum theory," I put in.

We reached the crypt, pushing open the door. "Someone should stand guard, just in case those zombies come near," Pin said.

"Puss, you do it,"

"Why me?" Puss snapped.

"Because, zombies prefer flesh with less fur, and I think some of them might have cat-allergies,"

"I'll stand guard with him," Sai said, giving Puss a dark glare. "Just in case opportunity springs for me to throw him at the freaks."

"For the last time, I didn't MEAN to cut your braid off!" Puss snapped.

Pin and I walked into the crypt, walking down the steps into the darkness. There was a torch on the wall which we lit and used to guide us, and all I could think about was that scene from The Haunted Mansion, where Eddie Murphy had to go down to a tomb to find a key… and I once again scolded myself for letting another thought like that enter my head.

I took out the compass, seeing that it kept pointing in the direction we were heading. "Stop," Pin said, holding his arm out and holding up the torch. We had reached the bottom of the steps… and noticed something we didn't expect.

There were no tombs, no zombies… but a sword stuck in a jewel-encrusted rock. Symbols were etched around the blade, ones that we could hardly read, though there was English written on the hilt: _"Whosoever pulls Excalibur II out of this rock shall rule all of Fairytale Land and inherit the sword's power."_

"You're kidding." I said, stunned. "We have to pull a King Arthur?"

Pin shrugged. "Hey, it might help," he said.

"How would pulling out a sword help me get my house back, exactly… other than helping me chop off Jared's head?"

"We won't know unless we try,"

I sighed, telling myself that, as soon as I die and meet my parents, I'm going to have a long discussion with them about inheritance. "Alright," I grabbed the sword, then tugged.

And tugged.

And tugged.

And tugged.

It was stuck tight. "Let me try," Pin said, then tried to pull out the sword, but it was stuck as well. "I can't get it. Maybe we need to-"

"AAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!" Came a scream, and Puss bolted down the stairs, his tail all bushy. Sai was right behind him, throwing shurikens at a few zombies.

"What's going on? You guys were SUPPOSED to be guarding the entrance!" I demanded.

"It's hard to guard a door from a whole swarm of zombies!" Sai snapped, then whipped out her swords and tried to keep the zombies at bay, Puss at her side.

Pin drew his sword and ran forth. "Blu, you keep working on the sword! We'll hold them off!" he ordered.

"Are you fucking nuts?" I snapped, once again pulling at the sword. "This thing isn't going to come out no matter-" A zombie then tackled Pin, biting into his neck. "PIN! HANG ON!" I then ran forth and cut the zombies head off, kicking it across the floor.

I paused, realizing that I had the sword in my hand now, and the blade was ablazed with blue flames. I didn't have time to be mystified, because the zombies were starting to crowd the room. I swung the blade, and an arc of fire shout out, scorching them. _Cool. _I then pointed the blade, and a bolt of lightening struck another zombie, reducing it to ashes. By this time, the other zombies' remaining brains began to kick in, and realized that if they didn't back off, they'd be roasted, and started to retreat.

But I wasn't going to let them off that easily. With a yell and a leap, I swung the blade, making another arc of fire, longer and thicker than the last one, and scorching every single one.

"Daaaaaaaaamn!" Sai commented, impressed. "Mind if I steal that sword off you sometime?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

We raced out of the tomb and back into the church, just in time to see that Wolf had returned, and Pedro and Tink were with him. "Hey, we were wondering where you two went off to," Pin commented.

"Just felt like messing with some zombies." Tink said with a shrug, then noticed my sword. "Hey, where'd you get that?"

"Apparently, my parents left me the most epic weapon in history," I said, holding up the blade.

"I got the medicine, too." Wolf said, treating his half-brother's wounds. "No one's gonna be getting zombified today."

"Thank God," Sai said with a sigh, sitting down and rubbing the antidote on her wounds, then passed it to Pin.

"By the way, how did you finally get the sword out?" Pin asked me as he treated the bite on his neck.

I shrugged. "I just saw some zombie tackling you and wanted to kick its ass, and the sword just popped out for me," I answered.

"Love," Lox said.

"Pardon?" Rosie asked.

"That sword must have been enchanted, so that the only time you could pull it out was if you wanted to defend someone you loved, and that was the only way it would work,"

"You swiped one of those zombies' Inuyasha mangas, didn't you?" Posie scoffed.

I had a few choice comments myself, but in a way I had to agree with Lox. When we first tried prying out the sword, all we thought about was just getting it and going home… but when I saw that Pin was in trouble, I wanted to help him, and the sword came out then. …Though, I wasn't about to admit this to anyone just yet.

"Eh, guess we just got lucky," I said, sheathing the sword. "Lets get back to the ship and head home,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I figured we'd get to the point again… though there's still a few loose ends to tie up.

Please review. No flames or I'll throw a rabid cat at your face.


	26. Chapter 26: Goldie Makes A Friend

Well, I'd say it's time for a new chapter, wouldn't you?

**Reviewer Thanks and Chocolate Bunnies**

**Elizabeth: **Sorry, I'm still trying to get familiar with all the Japanese terms out there! Forgive me, oh Lord of Manga!; You're welcome; I got the idea from an episode of a TV show; Yep; For now is right.

**Starspring: **Thank you; Glad I'm not the only one; Quite right- it's the best way to distract nerds; True, true, and heck yes! I actually got the idea of the sword's power from that movie "Quest for Camelot"; Yep.

**Scoobycool9: **If anyone challenged Blu while she had that sword, they'd be dead in a heartbeat; One of the most important things about writing a story is when you throw in a problem, you must have a solution… and buddy, I have a LOT of solutions to give XD

Also, I'm changing the scene breaks (XxXxX) to (0o0o0o0) because it's easier to do and I keep forgetting to use the other ones.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Goldie's POV**

I changed my clothes to a pair of pants and a T-shirt, which were in a trunk stacked near some other cargo. The outfit was a little loose for me, but it was a heck of a lot better than dressing in Red's old clothes and being the next possible victim of tentacle rape. I used my utility belt to keep the pants up and used one of my knives to cut them at the ankles so I wouldn't trip over them, and I was very thankful that there was a stack of crates I could change behind so none of those other creatures could watch me.

I then grabbed my knife and walked over to the locks, trying to pick it. I figured, while I was in here and Red was keeping that octo-maid busy, I could free the imprisoned creatures at least… maybe some of them would know a way out.

"That's not going to do much good," a voice said to me, and I looked over, seeing a creature that I hadn't noticed. He had pale skin and pink eyes, and pure-white eagle-wings in his back and talons on his feet, and the only thing he was wearing was a pair of blue-and-green swim-trunks. "Rancorous used an enchantment on those locks, so only his keys would fit."

I cocked my head, looking at him, then approached. "What kind of creature are you?" I asked, studying his features, noticing he was basically the same age I was, maybe a year older. "Are you… an angel?"

He chuckled. "Angels don't have talons on their feet. I'm an albino siren. Rancorous uses the sound of my voice to lure people to his show." he sighed heavily. "He plugs his ears before he comes in so I can't hypnotize him, and if I don't sing, he whips me… which made it difficult for me to tell him how I had a sore throat once."

"That's terrible!" I tried to hack his lock again. I couldn't stand such a beautiful creature being treated so cruelly.

"I told you, you need the keys."

"But Rancorous has them in his tent, and there's no way out of here!"

"Actually, there is," he motioned me closer and began to whisper. "Ulcer's room has a door in it, which he uses to go in-and-out to assist Rancorous. He's been using it a lot lately to help him track down this 'blue' girl and set traps… all the while bring some girls home."

I arched an eyebrow, realizing 'Ulcer' was the octo-maid. "His name is Ulcer?"

"Well, his mother, Ursula, wanted to name him after herself, but when she realized she had a boy, she changed it to 'Ulcer'." he pointed over to the room. "I've seen the door when the curtain's open. It's near the end of his bed… but it requires a lot of stealth to get through."

We heard a pleasured moan, and both realized that 'stealth' probably wouldn't be a large requirement.

"(ahem) Once you get out, find Rancorous' tent, but be careful- he has men scouting all over with lightening-sticks."

"Lightening sticks?" I questioned.

"Yeah, long metal sticks that shoot lightening and stun you,"

I figured he was talking about tasers, and only nodded. "Alright. Do you know what the keys look like?"

"They're on a red ring and they're golden with a white trim. Be careful… um, what was your name?"

"Goldilocks, but you can call me Goldie… what's your name?"

He shrugged. "I don't have one. Rancorous snatched me when I first hatched, and always called me 'Paleface', or 'Pink Eyes', or…"

"Okay, I get it. When I get you out, I'll help you come up with a better name," I then walked away from his cage and snuck over to Ulcer's curtain. I took a deep breath and peeked in…

I will not even describe how disgusting the image was. But I didn't have time to be appalled, and knew that- with his face buried that deep- it was the only opportunity I had to get out. …Only problem was that his tentacles were sprawled everywhere, wiggling and curling about. I did my best to step over them and keep from any grabbing me… but it wasn't enough because one managed to wrap around my ankle! I froze, preparing myself to be yanked in the air and strangled… or worse.

"U-Ulcer…" Red gasped, noticing me, and I figured she'd blow my cover. "Let me… let me have one of your…" she grabbed one of his tentacles and began to suck on the tip of it.

Instantly, all the tentacles straightened out, stiffening- the one grabbing me releasing me- before relaxing, the suction-cups gripping onto the floor. Red gave me a wink and I sighed with relief. Despite I was scarred for life and planned on remaining a virgin forever (let alone gouging out my eyes later) I was happy Red had a way with men, and found a way to control Ulcer.

I saw the door and snuck out, seeing it was nightfall. A perfect time for sneaking anywhere, and I made my way through the tents, looking for Rancorous'… though it wasn't that hard, since his tent was the only one with a picture of his face on the side and his name was on a neon-sign flashing above it. There were men walking around in twos and threes through the site and I ducked low to keep from being seen. Two guards stood on the outside of the tent, making sure no one would enter.

Too bad no one thought about guarding the entire perimeter of the tent, since it was easy to lift up the back-flap and crawl in. Once inside, I noticed that Rancorous was sleeping at his desk, and I realized I should have grabbed that flaming whip of his before I left. I snuck over, seeing that the keys were on the desk, right next to his head. I reached over and grabbed them, holding them together so they wouldn't clink together, and began to walk off, until I felt a tug, and noticed a wire had been tied on the ring, and it was attached…

…to his wrist… which he pulled back and began to suck on his thumb. I pulled out one of my knives and cut the string-

"YEEEEEEE!" came a screech, and I noticed a spider crawl out of his sleeve, and the end of the wire was attached to it's rear. A guard-spider!

"What the?" Rancorous gasped, waking up, and he saw me. "You!"

I quickly bolted, running out the entrance and into the shadows, hearing Rancorous shouting for his men to stop stalling and come after me. I reached the train cart and unlocked the door, running back inside-

"Not so fast!" Rancorous grabbed me by the shoulders and grabbed the keys from my hands, shoving me into the wall afterwards and slamming the door shut. "Nice try you little whelp! Have fun rotting away!"

That guy really needs to work on his lines. "Goldie, are you alright?" The albino siren whispered to me.

I looked at him, and smirked, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a key I managed to take off the ring during my run. "Just fine," I replied, and walked over, fitting it into the lock.

The problem? It wouldn't fit.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Hazel's POV**

I zapped another bum in the chest when he slapped my rear, making him hit the wall. It was a typical night in my bar, except I hadn't seen Blu for weeks now, not since she met that new girl. A new face came in, however, accompanied by Geppetto… which I found odd, since the ol' man hadn't asked a woman out in years, and the brood he was with looked too classy to be hanging around a place like mine.

"I thought we had an agreement, Geppetto," The woman was snarling as they sat at a table. "Your son would marry my good niece, and I'd give you the money to help keep your store in business!"

"We did! But that was a long time ago, when Pin was just a little boy," Geppetto was saying, apologetically. "And he's fallen in love with another girl-"

"Yes, a smarmy little wench named Blu, who ought to live on the streets with that good-for-nothing niece of mine, Posenta."

I didn't like how she was talking about Blu, but I strained my ear to hear more… all the while turning a drunk into a toad when he tried to steal someone else's beer. I was also curious about this 'agreement' they were talking about, knowing that Pin loved Blu with all his heart- everyone in the land knew that- and wouldn't marry any other girl, no matter what kind of contract he was in.

"To make matters worse, my nieces have gone missing, no doubt they all probably ran off to elope some noble and leave me out of it. They've been gone for months!"

"I'm sure they're fine," Geppetto stammered. "They'll show up, and if Blu and Pin are with them, they're in good hands."

The woman huffed at this. "They'd be in better hands if they were captured by ogres. If they're not back by the first day of Spring, along with that son of yours, the deal is off, and you can bet that store of yours will be torn to the ground!" With that, she stormed out.

What a bitch. I made a note to place a curse on her later on.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**The Albino Siren's POV**

The key didn't fit my lock… but it fit Arnold's.

Arnold was a buffalo-headed minotaur, and he's been wanting out ever since Rancorous roped him. "Arnold! Break the rest of the locks!" I called to him when he started charging around.

He grunted and snorted, nodding (he didn't know how to speak), and broke all the locks and chains that bound all of us. He came near my cage, preparing to break my lock next… but was yanked off his feet by a tentacle.

"I figured something was up," Ulcer sneered, slithering out and toward Goldie. The others tried to attack, but he used his tentacles to haul them off the ground, then grabbed Goldie by the ankles. "You're a clever little brat, aren't you? Well, not clever enough… and since you're too young for many options, you only get one." he slid a tentacle around her neck, preparing to strangle her.

"_When you leave, my colors fade to gray… Numa numa yei, numa numa numa yei… Every word of love I used to say, now I paint it every day…"_

He froze then, calming down at the sound of my voice. Goldie managed to slip out of his grip and run toward me, and I held her hand. That other girl rushed out next, wearing nothing but a cloak and a skirt. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Jail-break, now shush," Goldie hissed to her.

"_Open the bars, and let us escape… Oh little lover I pray, let us get away…" _I continued to sing, watching as Ulcer used his tentacles to stretch open my bars and let me loose. _"Go rest and this will just be a dream… And then run away and swim upstream,"_

Ulcer fell asleep then, and we all snuck out his door. "Call me!" Red whispered to him, grabbing her shirt and running out with us.

We snuck off the circus grounds and ran into the forest, those of us who were aquatic quickly diving into the river, while others took to the skies. I then turned to Goldie. "Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome, but…" she asked, confused. "Why didn't you ever sing to him before, to get him to do your bidding?"

I shrugged. "He always had his headphones on until Rancorous came. When your slutty friend had him, I guess he forgot to put them back on,"

"Hey!" That other girl snapped.

"Well, at least you're free now," Goldie said with a blush, then cleared her throat. "Right now, we have to find the 12 Huntresses and tell them about Rancorous, and help my cousin, Blu. She's out at sea right now, and I don't know when she'll be back."

I nodded. "I'll fly out over the ocean and locate her, and warn her then." I said, spreading my wings, then shot off to the skies, looking down once more at Goldie, smiling.

She's a pretty nice girl, once you get to know her.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Don't worry, guys, we'll get back to the important characters later. I just wanted to throw in a jail-break scene, and give Hazel another starring appearance.

Please review. No flames or you'll help me with my target practice… by being my target.


	27. Chapter 27: Blu's News

Well my dear readers, I believe this story is close to its end… unless I find a way to stall ;)

**Reviewer Thanks For Sticking Around This Long**

**Scoobycool9: **Glad you liked the siren; Well, I had to give Hazel a good role, didn't I? And cursing Lilliesworth would be the best option; Yeah, Goldie needed a friend…; could you repeat that last part?

**Starspring: **Same here; I can never resist putting in a situation in which the kid is smarter than the villain XD; She can and she will… think she should turn into a chicken or a frog? XD And Pin would do that, he always finds a way ;) ; Jail-break scenes FTW!

0o0o0o0o0o0

Remember that mother-rhinoceros thing I brought up a while back? Keep it in mind, because for some reason it may be important.

As we sailed across the ocean, I held Excalibur II in my hands, while Fangface II examined it. "Yep, that's the brother-sword of Excalibur alright." he was telling me. "Created by the same sorcerer and blessed with the same powers, just like Arthur's."

"So, what do these symbols mean?" I asked, hoping that he would know.

"Those? They're locksmith-symbols: you need to say the name of the sword backwards in order to read them. Arthur learned that when he was looking at his sword in a mirror, and the same symbols almost revealed themselves."

"Ah. …I suppose holding this sword makes me a queen too, huh?"

"I don't see why not. The declaration is carved in the hilt, just like the last one."

"Whatever DID happen to the last one?" Wolf asked, cocking his head.

"It was buried with Arthur after he died, and the sword's power died with him because he never passed it on. No one knew about the second sword, thinking it was only made-up, but once again everything made-up in Fairytale Land ends up true. …Except those rumors high-schoolers spread." He then stood up, his wolf-ears twitching as he stretched. "Well, I'd better get back to the helm, before Tink and Pedro try to sail us underwater,"

"Okay. Thanks for the info," I told him as he walked out, and then leaned back, holding the sword upward.

I always had a feeling my parents left me an extraordinary gift, whether it was my mom's power or a sword that could slay a dragon just by pointing towards it. …Though I never knew how I would use its power. I mean I'm not really cut out for ruling a kingdom, just ask my cousin Danny Charmm… so how can I inherit such a responsibility? Especially since I had a different one coming…

I placed my hand on my stomach. It had been three months since we've left Zombie Island, and this was the smoothest voyage we've had (so far)… especially since some interesting things had happened (in a good way).

The first week, Sai's braid had grown back, namely because Wolf used his powers to help her out just so she wouldn't throw Puss into the ocean, tied to a cement block.

Two weeks after that, we realized the shark-maids weren't following us, and we found a way to keep them as far away as possible: tofu. It was like throwing garlic at vampires, and we were completely safe… until we ran out.

The next week, when Lox was human again, she started cooking, making us great meals until she changed back into a wolf, and the cooking nymph didn't even complain… as long as she didn't steal from the galley.

Tink and Pedro went a whole month without pulling any pranks or cracking any jokes… which made most of us suspicious… and managed to help out around the ship. (Probably expecting to get paid or a huge reward or a chance to hold my sword to tease Blackbeard with- either way I'm glad there wasn't any Jell-O in my hammock this time)

And here we were, nearing the end of our third month, and not a single storm came our way, and with the current of the water going our way and the wind on our side, Fairytale Land was just a week away, according to Tink's aerial calculations.

I let out a sigh and leaned back, pulling out my _Ouran High School Host Club _manga, finally able to get to the last chapter. Wolf sat at the end of my bed, watching me… which was starting to make me uncomfortable. "Can I help you?" I asked him.

"Sorry. I was just wondering how you were feeling," Wolf replied. "You haven't thrown up in weeks, you've been pretty calm, and you haven't craved anything weird. I guess the baby will be here soon, huh?"

I sat up straight, holding my stomach. Had he seen how large my stomach had grown from the curve of the shirt? "How did you know?"

He bit his bottom lip, his ears sticking up, and his expression looked as if he was mentally kicking himself.

"Wait… you've always known? How long?"

He sighed. "Lox figured it out that night we took Blackbeard's ship and told me. She said she had experience in child-bearing before. I didn't say anything because I… well, I was still having trouble believing it. I still am."

This didn't surprise me, considering Wolf had been in love with me before, and would take a bullet for me as good as a loyal friend he is. …He actually did, once. "So am I." I gasped, holding my stomach.

"What is it?"

"I felt a kick."

His tail began to wag. "Really? Can I feel?" one look from me was all he needed. "Sorry, I get excited easily. …So, have you thought about what you're going to name it, yet?"

"Not really, considering I'm still trying to think about how I should tell Pin-"

"Tell Pin what?" came a voice, and my heart froze.

There was Pin, standing in the doorway.

Wolf turned away, and I noticed a glare in his eye- no doubt he wanted to mangle Pin for impregnating me. I bit my bottom lip, feeling more nervous than I've ever felt before… and that's saying something, since I've never been nervous before. He had a right to know… but I didn't know how he would take it. Would he be happy and even try to propose again? Would he feel shame and apologize repeatedly? Would he demand why I didn't tell him before and question how he could trust me?

…I know he wouldn't yell and snap at me from getting angry, since 1) he's a nice guy, and would never show that side to me, 2) it would cause a scene and everyone would come down here, then we'd have a ton of questions to answer, 3) I'd beat him in a shout-out and tell him he's as much to blame as I was, 4) I could kick his ass and he couldn't lay a hand on me unless he wanted to commit a felony, and 5) Wolf would kill him if he got hostile.

I took in a deep breath. I wasn't going to be like those women on those soap-operas. I was Bluskyrobinaquamarine Carson, dammit, and I've faced worse things! …Plus, the drama was starting to annoy me.

"Pin… there's something I need to tell you," I said, standing up and walking toward him, then turned to Wolf. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure. Call me if you need backup," Wolf replied, walking out.

Pin turned to me. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concern in his voice.

I made eye-contact with him, looking into his deep-brown eyes, and I began to wince. "Pin, you remember that night… when we made love?" I asked him.

"Yes…"

"Well, it turns out… I'm pregnant."

Then came the awkward pause.

"Y-You are?" Pin asked, stunned.

I unleashed a heavy sigh. "Yep, eight months along now, going on nine."

"Okay. That's what I thought you said. Hold on just one minute…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Wolf's POV**

The *thud* I heard inside the room was an obvious sign that Pin finally got the news… and he was taking it better than I thought.

As much as I still wanted to kick his ass, picturing his reaction was hilarious.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Blu's POV (once more)**

Okay, I wasn't expecting him to faint…

"Pin. Wake up," I said, shaking his shoulder.

"Ugh… my head…" he groaned, sitting up and looking at me. "So… you're serious. You're actually pregnant. With my kid."

I nodded, sighing. "I wanted to tell you the moment I found out, but… I was just nervous, and I was still trying to pull myself together." Shaking my head, I sat back down on my bed. "I feel so awful… after all those times I told myself I'd wait for marriage… I guess I should've said 'yes' the moment you proposed to me."

He sat down beside me, putting an arm around me. "It's nothing to be ashamed about, Blu. …Alright, sure, it's immoral, but you don't have to feel so bad about it. I mean, it's basically all my fault for persuading you and giving in to my own urges." he held both my hands then, looking deep into my eyes. "But I promise you, I'm going to do everything in my power to take care of you AND our child. I'll find a house for us and find an enchantment that'll keep it protected for eternity, I'll make sure neither of you go hungry, and I'll make sure nothing bad happens to either of you." he placed a hand on my stomach, and I felt the baby kick again. "I feel bad for doing this to you… but with a miracle on the way, there's no reason to feel shame or guilt. We're going to be parents."

I sighed, shaking my head. "You're going to be a great father… but I don't know anything about being a mother. I don't even know how I'm going to support it… I haven't even thought up any names! I'm surprised I didn't have a miscarriage by now, after throwing myself into the arms of danger-"

"Stop talking like that!" he snapped, grabbing my shoulders gently. "You're going to be a great mother, Blu. You know how to protect others, you have morals to pass down, and you always have a plan. And you have me…" he wrapped his arms around me. "I'll be there to help you, Blu, don't worry… Whether you want to marry or not, I'm going to be at your side to make sure everything goes right for you. I love you. You might ignore it, but it's fact. I love you, and I always will, from this day and ever after."

I couldn't help it. Tears began to fall out of my eyes and I hugged him too, feeling his warmth, developing a sense of security I thought I'd never feel, as if all the demons in the world were cast away and nothing could go wrong, and the sound of his heartbeat drowned out all other thoughts, making me feel comfort after so long… wow, these pregnancy hormones really take a lot out of you, don't they?

"Aw, how sweet," someone sneered, and we looked over, seeing that Pedro was standing in the doorway, Wolf knocked against the wall behind him. "Almost makes me vomit."

"Pedro? What are you doing down here?" Pin asked, standing up. "How much did you hear?"

Pedro laughed and his eyes were glowing. "It doesn't matter, since I know that it's finally time!" his voice had changed, sounding feminine…

"Annabelle! He's possessed!" I shouted, grabbing my sword. "Get out of here, before I-"

"What? You can't harm me while I'm in your friend's body… but don't worry, by next week I'll be out."

"Why wait?" Wolf snarled, then zapped Pedro in the back with a blue vapor.

There was screeching as Pedro's body writhed in agony, Annabelle being yanked out of him. "Damn you and your fairy power!" she bellowed, then turned to me. "Screw it! There's other saps I can possess! Maybe I'll possess your boyfriend and force him to make more love to you, and speed your pregnancy along,"

"Godmother, you're one sick whore aren't you?" I scoffed, keeping my sword raised and a burst of white flame shot at her… and she caught fire! "Damn! This thing can send ghosts up in flames! Sweet!"

"Augh! It burns! Ow!" Annabelle rolled across the floor, putting out the flames. "You're dead now!"

A white lasso wrapped around her just then, and I saw Rosie and Posie standing there, their bauble glowing bright. "See? I TOLD you she'd be back!" Posie sneered.

"Less arguing, more capturing!" Rosie retorted.

"You little bitches! Is this how you treat your favorite cousin?" Annabelle snapped. "Let me go! I want to come back! We have so much to do, so many tricks to pull!"

"You've pulled enough, Ash, and it's time you retired," The twins said in unison, rubbing their bauble.

"Fuck you!" Annabelle grabbed the white lasso and whipped it, making the bauble fly out of their hands and smash to the floor. She then disappeared, cackling.

"NO!" The twins knelt around the bauble, scooping up the pieces, trying to get it to work… but it didn't. They began to weep then.

Sai then burst in. "I heard screaming. What happened?" she asked.

"Annabelle's ghost is back and is after me," I replied, bitterly. "And she just made a getaway."

"And broke our bauble!" The twins wailed.

"Then I guess this is a bad time to say that there's a bunch of siren's flying at us,"

"What?" I snapped.

We followed Sai on deck, and sure enough a flock of siren's were swooping around our ship, singing melodies. Thinking fast, we ran back below deck and plugged our ears with cotton, being forced to communicate in sign-language. 'How come you weren't affected by their singing?' I signed to Sai.

'They were singing Britney Spears' latest song, I couldn't stand it and plugged my ears.' she signed back.

We ran back on deck, seeing that the others weren't so lucky and fell under their spell. Tink was flying toward a siren, and Wolf had to leap up and grab him, while Fangface II was heading toward the edge of the ship, and Sai lassoed him, and Puss was in the crow's nest wanting to be picked up- or wanting to eat the bird-women- but no siren's wanted him (they hated cats). Lox was barking at them, but I guess siren's don't like wolves, either.

Pin took control of the helm, trying to steer us to safety, but the siren's kept swooping, trying to nab us. 'There's too many!' Wolf signed to me as he and Sai tied Fangface II and Tink to the mast.

I took out my sword. I wanted to send out another arc of fire and roast the singing turkeys, but with the wind blowing and the sails in the way, I'd probably end up setting the ship on fire. One siren then managed to grab Pin and hoist him upward, and I pointed my sword upward by reflex, a bolt of blue lightening striking the beast dead. 'Cool sword', Pin signed to me.

'Less compliments, more steering' I signed back.

The siren's began to dive at once, though it was a mistake since Sai managed to cut off a few wings, tails, feet, and heads with her swords. Wolf shot a burst of blue light, which changed a few of them into sparrows… one of which Puss ate.

One suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders, hauling me into the air and yanked the cotton out my ears, and was singing that 'ET' song by Katy Perry… and now I felt my ears bleeding. I stabbed upward with my sword, striking it in the chest and it dropped me… downward toward the ocean. "Oh, shit!" I screamed, realizing how high up I was and knew that the splash wouldn't just be painful, but would leave serious damage to the child in my stomach.

I braced myself for the icy chill, for the contraction my stomach would give once I lost the baby… but it never came. I opened my eyes, and I saw my most hated color: blue.

Wolf lowered me back on the deck. "Pin's not the only one looking out for you," he told me.

There was a screech then, and all the siren's scattered, and we saw another siren flying towards us, as big as a jet plane, with black wings, sharp talons, and a face that looked like a cross between a young Michael Jackson and T-Pain. It was the mother-siren, and it was pissed about all its dead children. It grabbed the boat by the masts and hauled it out of the water, flying fast, the wind blowing in our faces so hard I thought it would tear off our bones.

I saw a mountain in the distance and had no doubt that the giant bird was going to smash us against it. Pin and Wolf both wrapped their arms around me, all of us bracing for impact…

"_Mother hold me tight, do not leave me now, keep me in your arms…" _came a melodious sound from the mast… and I saw Sai up there, singing. _"The shadows in the dark will never come again, as long as you're here with me… Father hold my hand, please do not let go, for I still need you here… No one would dare cause any harm as long as you are near me…"_

She sang beautifully… enough for the siren to slow down and listen.

"_Mothers and fathers, always protect. They never hurt you, and earn our respect. What would we do, if we went through life alone, without any maternal care? Remember them, do not forget them, and always remember they will be there…"_

When the siren had stopped, she shot an arrow into its heart, making it screech in pain and drop the ship… though it didn't drop, and I noticed a bunch of glitter was covering it, and Tink had been released and looked out of breath. "If I have to shed any more dust, I'm going to pass out for a month," he wheezed, falling to his knees.

"Sai, that was beautiful!" Wolf said to Sai once she came down. "Where did you hear it?"

"I don't know. It's just a lullaby I remembered," Sai replied with a shrug.

We sailed the ship through the air, seeing that Fairytale Land was just a mile away. "Looks like this quest went well," Pin said, smiling.

"Yeah, just one problem," I replied, my eyes wide with fear. "My water just broke!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Dun dun DUN…!

Review?


	28. Chapter 28: The Final Defeat

I'm sorry, but after the last chapter I went into shock and now that I'm awake I have to update before the suspensegetstomeand- *gasp!* (hits floor)

My kitty: Meow! (uses shock-therapy) *zap!*

Me: I'm alive! …*ahem* Here's the next chapter.

**Reviewer *CLEAR!* Thanks**

**Scoobycool9: **Lucky has every reason to laugh, lol; Who wouldn't faint?; Yep, Sai's identity still remains a secret; No doubt.

**Starspring: **Yeah, I wanted to keep Pin in-character… and I despise Annabelle for ruining the moment too; Well, it was Pin's shirt, and he's pretty muscular… and Blu is pretty small; Yep, Sai has a lot of hidden talent, yet her identity remains unknown; Your questions will be answered after this question.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

We landed the boat and tried to run to Camelot, the nearest place that had a hospital, but with the contractions I couldn't even leave the shore. "Guys, run and get help!" Pin ordered Puss, Ben, Pedro, and Tink. "Sai, you and Lox go get some warm water, a bowel, a towel, and some clean blankets! Hurry!"

Wolf lied behind me so I could use him as support. "That's it, Blu, just breathe…" he was telling me.

"SHUT UP!" I shouted. The pain was killing me!

Rosie and Posie were fanning me, trying to help me feel more comfortable. "Whoever said child-birth was a beautiful moment, was an idiot." Posie commented.

"The outcome is beautiful, but the process is scarring," Rosie replied.

Sai and Lox came back, lying a towel in front of me. Sai held my hand, despite the fact that I could rip it off at any second. "Easy. Just breathe, and push." she told me.

"Oh, this is more painful than the time I fell into that witch's cobra-briar patch!" I groaned.

"Don't worry, we're right here, we're going to get you through this, now PUSH DAMMIT!"

I listened, breathing… but suddenly Lox started to snarl and snap at my stomach. "Someone hold down the dog!" Rosie and Posie snapped.

"Lox, what's wrong?" Wolf asked. Lox snarled fiercely. "Ghost in Blu's stomach? What?"

"Annabelle!" I gasped.

It suddenly became clear for me, then. Annabelle was using my pregnancy for her advantage, so she could possess it and live again… that bitch!

"Wolf, do something! She's going try to reincarnate!"

"What about the child?" Rosie and Posie asked.

"I am NOT going to give birth to the whore who cost me my job and ruined my life!"

Wolf pressed his paws against my stomach, blue illuminating it. The contractions were severe, and Annabelle's screeching wasn't helping. "Blu, you're going to have to push!" Pin said. "Wolf, do you have a hold on Annabelle?"

"Yeah, but she's putting up a fight!" Wolf grunted, his paws clenched as if he were holding on to something.

"We've got to get this kid out before she gets loose," Sai said. "C'mon, Blu, push!"

I pushed with all my might, hearing Annabelle's screeching, Wolf grunting, Lox snarling, Pin and Sai coaching me. I thought about all that had happened, about losing my job and home, finding out my aunt and uncle had been holding out on me, meeting Sai, turning down Pin's proposal, helping Lox, going on a quest, taking on zombies, finding the sword…

"Get my sword!" I grunted.

"What?" Sai asked. "Why do you-"

"JUST GO GET IT!"

Rosie and Posie ran off to the ship. I kept pushing, trying to get my child out.

"Augh!" Wolf screamed, jerking back. "She bit me!"

"Do you still have her?" Pin asked.

Wolf gulped. Bad sign.

I could hear Annabelle's evil cackle. "Nice try, Blu!" she said, her voice ringing in my head. "Thanks so much for allowing yourself to get knocked up. Now I can come back!"

Rosie and Posie came rushing back with the sword, and I quickly grabbed it. "OVER MY DEAD BODY!" I shouted, and pointed the blade toward my stomach, and a surge of blue light shot out.

"Blu-" Pin began to snap.

Too late. I saw a burst of white, hearing screaming coming from several people, including myself… The light faded, and there was silence, except for a gasp from Pin. "Oh, no…" Wolf gasped.

I looked, seeing Pin hold up the baby… but it wasn't moving. _No… I killed it… _I thought, and I began to cry.

"Hold on…" Sai said, taking the baby, and began to rub its back.

That's when we heard it.

A cry.

My baby's cry. "Congratulations," Sai said with a smile. "It's a girl,"

She handed my daughter to Pin, and he sat beside me, both of us looking at our child. She had Pin's black hair and my blue eyes, and she smiled up at us, giggling. Lox sniffed her and wagged her tale. "She isn't possessed," Wolf said with a grin, and rubbed the baby's head. "But… what about Annabelle?"

"She's gone," Rosie said. "Posie and I saw the whole thing."

"Your sword forced her out. Then there was a blue light that engulfed her, strange symbols wrapping around her and suffocating her," Posie answered.

"Then she was gone," The twins finished together.

"Good riddance," I said, then held my daughter.

"What are you going to name her?" Wolf asked.

"I'm going to name her after my mother, Susan." I turned to Pin. "Unless you had a different name in mind,"

Pin put his arm around me. "Your mother helped us both out, naming our child after her would be the least we could do," he answered.

Pedro flew in just then, frantic. "Guys, we've got trouble." he said. "Ben just stepped into a trap, and some fox-guy shot him and Tink with tranquilizer darts, and Puss is in a fierce fight with… oh, hey, you had the baby. Congratulations, mi amigos,"

"Figures Rancorous wouldn't give up so easily," I sneered. "C'mon, we'd better go help-"

An arc of fire whipped at us just then, and Rancorous stepped up, throwing Puss' limp body at us. "Next time you pick allies, make them tougher," he sneered. "You're really in it deep this time, girl. Thanks to your cousins, my whole show is cancelled! …But with that wolfid, wolfian, were-human, and one of those faerie twins, I might get back on track."

"One of us?" The twins questioned.

"Sorry, girls, but in order for you to stay rare, one of you will have to die," he raised his whip. "Now, who wants to die first?"

I wanted to kick is ass, but the birth had taken a lot out of me, and I had Susan in my arms. "Blu, you rest. We'll handle this animal-abusing fucker," Wolf said, glowering at Rancorous.

I knew that when Wolf dropped the F-bomb, he was serious, so I held on to Susan and stood back.

Rancorous cracked his whip and Sai lunged with her swords, but the fox was ready this time and whipped at her wrists, catching her and throwing her into a tree. Wolf shot a blast at him but Rancorous drew a knife and rolled toward him, cutting him in the shoulder. Pin tried shooting an arrow at him but the fox whipped at him next, taking the weapon from his hands and shot an arrow into his cape, pinning him to a tree.

Sai got up, and I saw the fury of hell in her gaze. "Now… I'm pissed." she growled, then threw a knife, nailing Rancorous in the shoulder. He yelled in pain and tried whipping her, but she dodged this time, rolling toward him and stabbing him in the leg- which had a wound there already, for some reason- and knocked him off his feet. She was about to finish him off, but there was a flaw.

He had landed by me, and raised a gun at Susan and I. "One more move, and the bitch and child both die!" he snapped.

There was snarling, and Lox lunged, grabbing Rancorous' gunhand with her jaws and yanking it behind his back until there was a *snap*, then began to claw and snap at his face. He screamed in pain and tried to use his whip, but I pulled it out of his hand and tossed it away, and watched as Lox bit into his throat, making him thrash and shriek… then he went numb.

We all sighed with relief, glad that Rancorous was finally dead. "Ugh… what did I miss?" Puss asked, alive once again.

Damn it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dawn approached as we went to Pin's house, and I lied Susan on his bed, both of us lying on either side of her, preparing to get a good night's sleep…

"OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE, CONNIVING, ILLITERATE STUNTS TO PULL…!" came an unholy tone from downstairs.

We walked down, seeing that Lilliesworth had returned and was chewing out the twins. Before I could interject, there was a tap on my window, and I saw Lena. "What is it?" I asked, opening the window.

"I have news for you." she said. "Rancorous had kidnapped your cousins and I came to look for you but I didn't get far before they escaped themselves and set free a bunch of creatures, but there's an albino siren looking for you so he can tell Goldie whether you're alright or not."

Said albino siren peeked through the window. "Did I come at a bad time?" he asked, cringing at the sound of the shouting downstairs.

"No… actually, maybe you could help us out. How good is your singing?" I asked, and let him in, leading him to the living room where Lilliesworth was.

"And another thing! Backing out of your contract next to that man-whore who dared to call himself a gentleman!" The kusobaba was snapping… You learn a lot of terms out of mangas. "For this, you shall surely-"

"_Nag nag, go away. Leave us alone for the rest of our days," _The siren was singing. _"We hate your guts, you have no right… to intrude on anyone's life. Forget about the twins, go back where you come from… Forget about that contract and stop being so dumb."_

Lilliesworth got a blank look on her face. "I do believe I'll go…" and in her trance, she left.

The twins looked up at us and smiled. "Hey, I didn't want her scaring my kid," I said with a shrug, then turned to the siren. "Thanks, um… what's your name?"

"I don't have one, but your cousin, Goldilocks, said she'd name me. Do you know where she lives?"

I nodded and gave him directions, and he shot off. Lena climbed onto my shoulder once more. "Also, Blu, there's word that Silver won't be returning, because he's taking Danny's place as king," she told me. "He invites you to the ceremony which will be next week,"

"We'll be there," I replied, then went back to bed, lying next to Pin and Susan, getting some sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Next chapter, Blu's happy ending.

Please review. No flames or my killer bunny shall eat you.

Killer bunny: Grrrr…


	29. Chapter 29: Happily Ever After At Last

And now… the final chapter.

**Final Reviewer Thanks**

**Starspring: **Pretty shocking, wasn't it? I'm just glad I managed to get rid of all of the villains.

**Scoobycool9: **That's what all the men in 'Monty Python' thought before they got slaughtered; Yeah, I finally decided to give Blu a real happy ending, and I may start a series about her daughter. Truth is, I don't even know Sai's identity, since she's kbomb234's character, so that's one secret we may never know.

Special thanks to kbomb234 for allowing me to use her character, Sai, in the story.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_Three Months Later…_

I was standing in the middle of the court with my sword, looking at the symbols. "II Rubilacxe," I said, and the symbols changed into readable letters, with the following declaration:

"_We, Adam Carson and Susan Carson, grant our daughter, Bluskyrobinaquamarine Ebony Carson, full custody of our home, our savings, our fortunes, and our possessions._

_Rule the land wisely, dearest, and remember that true strength does not come from skill or muscle, but the heart. We shall be watching over you always,"_

"Then it's settled," Jared the elf sighed, handing over the deed to my house. "Lilliesworth's contract is null and void, and you have full custody of the property."

"Are you sure you don't want to move into a castle instead?" My cousin, Snow White, asked me. "You are queen of all the land now, after all."

I shrugged. "Nah. I've been away from my real home too long." I replied, sheathing my sword.

The court adjourned and I walked out, seeing Pin holding Susan by the door, waiting for me. Next to him stood Red and Goldie, who were cooing my child, who ended up hitting them in the faces with her rattle (that's my girl!). That albino siren stood with Goldie, who had decided to name him Gabriel, and some octo-maid stood with Red… how they all met was beyond me.

I saw Robin standing with Jimmy, Danny, Radio, and Rudy, who all had wedding bands of their own. Turns out they all got married on the same day as Silver and Red Rose, and Radio looked like she was expecting a child of her own soon. Jimmy no longer had wolf-ears or a tail, considering- as a wedding gift- Wolf had bitten him and changed him back human.

Silver and Red Rose stood with them, smiling happily, and Red Rose also looked like she was going to have a child as well. "Looks like you're going to go far, Blu," Silver told me as I walked by. "You've got a family, a home, and a sword that guarantees you'll rule the land. …I guess my lessons paid off."

I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Keep telling yourself that, Silver." I replied, patting him on the back.

"We've got to get back to Britalva," Red Rose said. "I'm glad you invited us to your wedding, Blu."

"Hey, you invited me to yours, so you had to come to mine, didn't you?"

"Your baby is so CUTE!" Rudy exclaimed, walking up to Susan and tickling her under the chin, making her giggle.

"Yeah, congratulations, Blu," Jimmy said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Perhaps she'll be friends with our child," Radio added, putting a hand on her tummy.

"Maybe," Pin said, bouncing Susan in his arms. "What do you think, Sue? Having a playmate of your own?"

After socializing a little longer, we headed home.

In case you didn't catch that part about my wedding, it turns out Pin proposed to me at Silver's wedding, claiming he wanted to be a family and spend every moment with me and our child.

This time, I said yes.

It wasn't because I didn't want to raise Susan alone or have her be like one of those kids who had to swap parents every weekend, or because of whatever talk people would say about me if I didn't go through with marriage, or because I felt guilt for saying 'no' in the first place. I didn't need any of those reasons to give my answer.

I did it because I loved him, and Susan deserves a great man for a father.

Duh.

As we walked back to our home, we saw Wolf and Lox lying underneath a tree. Wolf had told us about how Lox had been in love with Biggy (the original Big Bad Wolf), and how she fell in love with Wolf because he and Biggy were similar… in appearance. After seeing how different Wolf really was from his brother, she fell in love with him all over again for a different reason- his heart. I don't know whether Wolf will ever feel the same about her or not, though since they've been hanging out a lot, I suppose something will spark. He still checks up on me once in a while, but once he was convinced I was in good hands, he moved on with his life.

Rosie and Posie left, too… apparently they met a couple twins named Derek and Drake and hit it off with them- though I have a feeling they'll be causing mischief that'll put Pedro and Tink to shame.

Pedro and Tink, speaking of which, met up with Jimmy's friend, Al, and decided to use their pranks for a good cause.

Geppetto's shop was in debt, but for some reason a stone statue of a hideous woman ended up in front of his shop… so horrifying people actually paid him to get rid of it! Hazel helped him dispose of it, and for some reason they ended up becoming good friends afterwards. What I never figured out was why that statue resembled Lilliesworth…

Puss and Fangface II met up with Starspring, and they offered to assist Sai on her quest for her identity, though Sai said she had enough company already and decided to continue her quest on her own, and we never saw her again.

I got my job back at Merlin's book shop, despite how people found it odd that the ruler of Fairytale Land was having a part-time job. What can I say? I want to earn money, and I love books… plus they have a great day-care.

Passing by my house, I saw that my house was back where it was supposed to be, and Pin and I walked inside. My parents kept a lot of baby stuff stored in the attic from when I was a child, and we brought it down and set up a room for Susan. We lied her down to sleep, then went to bed ourselves.

"Blu?" Pin asked me.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I can't help but notice something's different about you,"

"Like what?"

"Well… you've been a lot more patient, you haven't insulted many people, and… well, you're not much of the rugged, surely, attitude-giving girl I met before."

I shrugged. True, I had become less hardcore in the last few months, but I didn't mind. "Well, I've got a great husband, a beautiful daughter, good friends, and a warm home, let alone I've been blessed with so much. I guess after realizing how good my life can be rather than complaining how much it sucks, I finally let go of my inner-bitch and decided to appreciate what I've got." I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. "I guess your optimism finally rubbed off on me,"

Pin smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm glad you've finally found happiness,"

I smiled at him, both of us starting to drift asleep. I've always had happiness… I just never noticed it, and I planned on keeping it that way just to save myself another quest.

Susan suddenly started crying then. "Pin, go take care of her, will you?" I asked.

"I did it last time… why can't you?" he replied.

"Do I need to get my sword out?"

He sneered at me. "So much for being less hardcore,"

I scoffed. "You didn't think I'd change THAT much, did you?" I gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now go on. Your daughter wants you,"

He rolled his eyes and walked out, but I could tell he was smiling.

I lied back down, looking out the window at my mother's wishing star. "Thanks mom," I whispered, drifting to sleep.

At long last, I was finally living happily ever after.

**THE END.**

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sappy, yes, but that's the way a lot of fairytales end.

Now review.


End file.
